Council set to scrap parking charges for disabled residents

Rochdale council look set to approve plans put forward by the Liberal Democrats to scrap parking charges for disabled residents on council car parks across the borough. They will also announce that they are set to double the number of car parking spaces available to disabled people.

Leader of Rochdale Council Alan Taylor said: "Disabled people across the borough have been telling us that there just simply are not enough car parking spaces provided for them. Also, the car parking spaces that have been provided are not the best suitably placed for a disabled person. We have listened to the needs of local disabled residents and along with doubling the spaces available to them we have also taken the opportunity to scrap charges for parking on council car parks. This item has been added to the agenda at a special meeting of the cabinet on 27 March where I am sure it will get a majority backing."

Healey Councillor Tom Bailey said: "I think this initiative is a great idea and I am sure that a lot of local residents will agree. We have also become aware of the problems associated with short-term disabilities. For example, after serious operations people can suffer from short-term disability. To combat this problem we have introduced a new short term Blue Badge scheme that will allow short term disabled residents to park in disabled car parking spaces. We understand that we are the first council in the country to introduce such a scheme."