A COUNCIL has received two national awards for the safety and accessibility of its car parks.

Darlington Borough Council’s car parks have been accredited the national Safer Parking Scheme’s ‘Park Mark’ for being well-managed and meeting specific quality and safety criteria including CCTV, lighting levels, cleanliness and signage.

They have also achieved Disabled Parking Accreditation (DPA) after they met criteria for the provision of spaces, accessibility and clear enforcement of disabled bays.

But last night, the council's approach to disabled parking was criticised, with suggestions the disabled "keep getting hit" by the authority and they need to "open their eyes".

In January, Darlington Borough Council began charging blue badge holders to use their off-street car parks.

 

Previously, those with blue badges could park for up to three hours for free in council run car parks and on-street disabled bays and without limit in other on-street bays, and those unaware of the changes were hit with unsuspecting fines.

Councillor Anne-Marie Curry and Gordon Pybus, chair of Darlington Association on Disability, have previously called for a review of all the blue badge pay signs in the council’s car parks, and they maintain further work is needed.

Cllr Curry said: "I don't know if the signs have improved in all of the car parks, but the council shouldn't have made the mistakes in the first place.

"The council needs to open its eyes to disabled people – they have faced cuts specifically to the disabled and they are also affected by the cuts everyone else have had.

"They keep getting hit – it is a double whammy."

Mr Pybus added: "It is a bit of a double edged sword, there are a lot of blue badge bays and that is worth commending, but charging people isn't.

"People coming from out of the town are not aware of the charges, the signs on the entrance are not clear – some of them look like they don't even belong to that car park.

"There are so many signs everywhere that people don't notice them.

"There are so many extra costs disabled people have to deal with – people think they have loads of extra benefits to fund them, but that is not the case."

 

Cllr Nick Wallis, cabinet member for leisure and local environment, said: “Community safety is a priority for us and we want those who live, work and visit the borough to feel safe when they are here – that includes ensuring our car parks are safe and secure too.

“As well as securing ‘Park Mark’ status, we have also gained disability accreditation too ensuring that there are safe and secure parking facilities for all those who need them.”

Inspector Chris Knox, of Durham Constabulary, said: "Darlington Borough Council has a programme of investment in its car parks which has been acknowledged by the award of the Safer Parking Scheme’s ‘Park Mark’.

“The Safer Parking Scheme is a Police initiative which assesses car parks for safety and security and the council’s car parks have been recognised as well-managed and maintained, with minimal crime.”