Disabled Isle of Wight Council staff with a blue badge will now be able to park for free while they go to work – but all other staff will have to continue paying up to £15 a month. When the staff and member parking policy was first introduced in 2006 it was free, but that was changed a few years ago and staff with a blue badge were either required to pay in a council car park or park on the road for free. Councillors agreed to reverse the change and allow staff and members with blue badges to park at County Hall and Westridge for free. Blue badges allow those with a disability or health condition to park closer to their destination, often for free. The parking policy allows staff and councillors to park at a reduced rate in more than 50 council car parks. The staff/member parking permit costs either £10 or £15 a month, depending on how much staff are paid, and is only valid when the vehicle is being used for legitimate work or council duty purposes. Councillor Karl Love proposed a motion last September which called for the scheme to be extended to cover 24/7 parking in all council long stay car parks for staff and councillors. In a report before members, the council highlighted extending the parking scheme may give rise to public criticism, especially when the pubic are paying full price and less likely to find a parking space. It would also have an impact on the council’s parking income, it said, which is a key requirement of the authority’s budget strategy. Senior officers looked at other changes to the policy, including permit misuse and pool car parking, but suggested the only change, that was ‘necessary to amend’ was for staff with blue badges. None of the other proposed amendments were considered necessary or appropriate, the report said. When it came to a vote, all councillors were in favour of the changes to the staff and members parking policy apart from Cllr Love, who voted against it.
CHANGES TO COUNCIL’S STAFF PARKING POLICY – BUT NO REDUCTION IN MONTHLY COST
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Should think so too! Speaks volumes for the one councillor who voted against though, doesn’t it?
Sorry why should the disabled not pay, they are going there to work earning the same as other staff.
Is this not discrimination against able bodied people?
I
Bob Bailey. They usually can’t use public transport or cycle in to work
I think the point is, most disabled can’t cycle to work, use public transport (walking to and from stops and connections), or use motorcycles, so they wouldn’t have those alternative financial incentives available to them.
Most disabled people can’t cycle or use a bus-who are you kidding.The main criteria for being awarded a Blue Badge is difficulty in walking.Go to any supermarket and watch them.Or down to Ryde front and watch them taking their dogs for a walk.At least 85% should not have them but nobody ever checks up on them.Also many of them have expensive cars so why shouldn’t they pay like the rest of us?
BB claimants are required to have detailed medical records checked. Where did you get 85% from please?
Because it would be an obvious discrimination. People who can walk have various choices. If they choose to walk it costs them no extra to work. If a disabled person cannot afford to do the same job because they CAN’T walk the that discrimination, or an uneven playing field. It’s like not providing a person of restricted height a box to reach the till at work, so not employing them when they were best qualified for the job. Even worse is then making them pay for that box.
One plus one is two
sorry what exactly are you saying?
Council staff car park should only be for disabled staff. The rest should have to use the bus to reduce their environmental impact.
I agree .. why gift staff or lazy councillors any added benefit .. NHS staff are not subsidised .
At StMarys so Stop this practice.. or make it fair to everyone .. free for disabled but that’s all and certainly not the lazy councillors.
Mmm…not really, because then the same could be said for every car driver anywhere. In effect removing choice.
They would have the choice of using a normal car park and paying the same as other people rather than getting subsidised parking. The council should promote bus use by its workers to reduce their carbon footprint. This is a no-brainer on such a small island with short commutes. Less cars on the road would also improve overall traffic flow.
Well that’s discriminating again people without disabilities!
No problem with disabled driver using there blue badges but the rest £10 – £15 a month what’s that less than 50p a day or a little more for those paying £15 a month!
This is an absolute joke,no wander our council tax keeps going up why should we be subsiding there parking?
Appreciate the disabled vehicles. Do any other section of people get a free parking permit, do councillors get a free pass or do they have to pay and reclaim it on expenses?
The parking is already massively subsidised for all, up to 50p a day is no more than a token contribution. And the badge holders are obviously fit enough to work and if their mobility is truly impaired then they will be getting an allowance . I’m in a wheelchair user 24/7 and I get about fine on our buses. Did the badge holders themselves have the audacity to moan about parking charges, or was it interfering do gooders again?
Why not they charge us Islanders 24/7 364 days a year parking charges.
They charge us 50p to have a P iss in Sandown and they also charge us one of the
most expensive Council taxes is England and they charge us the most
expensive Green Waste charges in the country
The island is run by Dick Turpin, we need to be run by Robin Hood, not
Robin B’stards