Councillors vote to scrap charges for Blue Badge holders in Wiltshire
Liberal Democrats at Wiltshire Council voted to scrap fees brought in by the previous Conservative-led council
Liberal Democrats at Wiltshire Council have overturned a decision by their Conservative predecessors to charge Blue Badge holders to stay in council car parks.
At a meeting of the council’s cabinet this week (Tuesday, October 7) members agreed to reinstate free parking for disabled people after the Tories introduced charging in 2022.
But because the original decision was part of the 2022 budget, the decision will need to be ratified by full council on October 21.
There are 30,000 Blue Badge holders in Wiltshire, and during the meeting councillors spoke passionately about their own experiences of helping disabled relatives and friends. One called charging “a tax on disabled people.”
The Conservatives – who had made Blue Badge holders pay for parking, but offered them an hour’s grace get back to their cars – opposed the reversal of their policy. Questioning the price the Lib Dems had put on removing the fee – a projected loss in revenue of £40,000 – the Tory’s deputy leader Dominic Muns suggested the cost might be closer to between £350,000 and £400,000.
But Cllr Martin Smith, cabinet member for highways, said that although the £40,000 was an estimate, because the council did not track blue badge holders, it was “an assumption used by the previous administration when seeking to scrap free parking.”
And council leader Ian Thorn said he did not recall “a £400,000 increase in parking revenue” when charges were introduced in 2022.
Cllr Muns stuck to his guns, suggesting that as revenue from car parks was used to support the county’s bus network, reversal of the existing policy would subsidising people who can afford a car to the detriment of those who can’t.
“This is purely ideological. It really is quite perverse,” he said. “It represents a significant loss of revenue that we can invest in public transport.”
During the meeting, several cabinet members and councillors shared personal experiences. Gordon King (Westbury East) said: “The value is not necessarily monetary, but a social value in ending discrimination.
“I’ve watched many times people struggling to park and get out and getting their mobility equipment out on double yellow lines, all the time dodging and fearing traffic.”
Helen Belcher (Corsham Pickwick) said: “£40,000 is less than one per cent of the parking income. On people having cars subsidised by people who don’t, I have a friend with a disabled badge. I take her out in my car and (the Blue Badge) allows me to park in a space allocated for her needs.
“We need to be very careful about making broad brush assumptions about the kinds of people who benefit from Blue Badges.”
Jon Hubbard (Melksham South) said: My mother had Blue Badge towards end of life. Can we stop debating the cost? Can we make this about the people affected by it?”
And Kym-Marie Cleasby (Marlborough East) said: “This is a cost issue. My daughter has three children and a Blue Badge. She came to stay and had to pay more to park because it took longer to get in and out of the car and around the shops.
“Everything takes longer, and all of that time it costs for parking. The costs of disability are huge. The introduction of those charges was a tax on the disabled.”
After the meeting, Cllr Smith said: “(Blue Badge) eligibility is based on a range of criteria, including being unable to walk more than 50 metres, being registered blind, receiving a war pensioner’s mobility supplement, or having a permanent and substantial disability.
“Many Blue Badge holders do not drive or own a vehicle themselves, and often rely on family, friends, or carers for transport. There is also a strong correlation between Blue Badge holders and lower levels of income.
“This policy promotes fairness, independence and inclusion, while helping to improve the lives of people with disabilities. I hope full council will back this move to make Wiltshire a more equitable and accessible place for everyone.”