Dismay as blue badge plan scrapped in Poole (From Thisisdorset)

Cllr Adams questioned how many parking spaces would be needed and said there would be a loss of revenue for the cash-strapped council.

That is what this and parking in general is all about.

Its well talked about within the town hall amongst staff that Mrs Brooke apparently put terrible pressure on council officers and management to get herself a blue badge. Under central government legislation, to give her one would have been illegal. When she failed to get herself a badge, Mrs Brook took on the mantle of trying to get blue badges for everyone with a temporary impairment. She invoked a suggestion by the government that individual councils can investigate the feasibility of local temporary schemes, to force Poole Borough to do so. They did investigate, and the cost of implementing such a scheme was found to be prohibitive, at around a half million pounds. The matter was debated in council by elected members and defeated by 8 to 4. The costs would have come from lost revenue , but also in increased staffing costs , costs in changing signage in car parks, costs on producing and distributing the badges and costs in paying GPs to address each claim(£25) . The tax payer would have had to pay this, and the council recognized this, and threw the motion out. Mrs Brook seems to be unable to understand how her campaign has actually rebounded on her, as many are suggesting that her time would have been better spent doing her parliamentary job instead of using her status to try to influence a local council.

Rather than castigating the council over this, might I suggest Annette Brooke's energies would be better directed in campaigning to change the current rules on blue badges to include temporary impairment as an allowable condition.
Blue badges could then be issued with a short validity, ie 6, 12 or 18 months, depending on medical advice, but with the same £10 fee being charged as for the "normal" blue badge.
Hopefully then, the net cost would not be too great.
Incidentally, as as blue badge holder myself, I've never understood why people like me should be exempt from car parking charges. Being less mobile doesn't mean I'm less able to pay!

Congratulations to Poole Council for not caving in to MP pressure to introduce a temporary blue badge parking scheme. This would have been an economic burden and a headache to administer and enforce. It’s bad enough for people with permanent disabilities trying having their spaces abused by others. Why, when the rest of us are being “urged” not to use cars does our MP feel she should not use alternatives? Surely it was a perfect opportunity to see how Wilts and Dorset’s finest look after people with temporary disabilities so she can encourage her constituents to do likewise rather than build up their hopes of introducing such a crackpot scheme

But unless you are tax exempt, blue badge holders still have to pay to park in car parks just like everyone else.
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Clllr Adams needs to check her facts.

Has Brooke not got bigger fish to fry?

Furthermore, how come the reporter seems to be on first name terms with Brooke, whereas everyone else is referred to as 'Mr' or 'Cllr', for example? I smell a rat........ Also, if your 'disability' is so severe that you can't walk a few yards to the nearest car park like the rest of us, should you really be behind the wheel of a vehicle. Mmmmmm, interesting point, comments please..............

Letcommonsenseprevai
l wrote:
Furthermore, how come the reporter seems to be on first name terms with Brooke, whereas everyone else is referred to as 'Mr' or 'Cllr', for example? I smell a rat........ Also, if your 'disability' is so severe that you can't walk a few yards to the nearest car park like the rest of us, should you really be behind the wheel of a vehicle. Mmmmmm, interesting point, comments please..............

It isn't an interesting point - people with blue badges are disabled WALKERS - that doesn't necessarily they can't drive. I'm fine provided my weight isn't on my feet and legs. I can drive without problem, but walking is an altogether different matter.
......
You sit down to drive - perhaps only people who have difficulty while sat down in a chair should have a blue badge. Mmmmmmmmmm.

Besides which, it isn't necessarily the DRIVER who is the blue badge holder - it can be the passenger who keeps their blue badge with them for use in any car in which they are a passenger.

Having had to have my leg in plaster it was noticed that it did impair my ability to get about. The search for convenient car parking space for my caring driver did get difficult. Problem understood Annette.

How do we get the 'jobsworths' to understand that sometimes a little flexibility is invaluable in helping those people (like you) still keen to contribute when accidents occur ?

Perhaps the causes of accidents should be addressed but that is another debate about social responsibility and the role of local government !!

This afternoon many of my colleagues at work have been commenting that had Mrs Brooks managed to gain a badge to begin with, it would have not only been valid for 3 years (she had her leg in a cast for about 6 weeks), but would have entitled her to exemption from the Congestion Charge, and parking charges in London, for all of that time. As she spends most of her time in London, she would have benefited greatly, and cost the London authority and tax payers lost revenue. Out seems that everyone in my whole building has been laughing their socks off and commenting that Mrs Brooke should be ashamed of herself, but is probably only one of many MPs likely to be benefiting at the expense of the rest of us.

Carolyn43 wrote:

Letcommonsenseprevai

l wrote:
Furthermore, how come the reporter seems to be on first name terms with Brooke, whereas everyone else is referred to as 'Mr' or 'Cllr', for example? I smell a rat........ Also, if your 'disability' is so severe that you can't walk a few yards to the nearest car park like the rest of us, should you really be behind the wheel of a vehicle. Mmmmmm, interesting point, comments please..............

It isn't an interesting point - people with blue badges are disabled WALKERS - that doesn't necessarily they can't drive. I'm fine provided my weight isn't on my feet and legs. I can drive without problem, but walking is an altogether different matter.
......
You sit down to drive - perhaps only people who have difficulty while sat down in a chair should have a blue badge. Mmmmmmmmmm.

Besides which, it isn't necessarily the DRIVER who is the blue badge holder - it can be the passenger who keeps their blue badge with them for use in any car in which they are a passenger.

It's interesting enough for you to respond..... Did you take your driving test before or after your disability arrived? Where you assessed on your ability to perform an emergency stop? See my point? Mmmmmmmmm.......

Who would monitor when the temporary need was over then
?

Letcommonsenseprevai
l wrote:

Carolyn43 wrote:

Letcommonsenseprevai


l wrote:
Furthermore, how come the reporter seems to be on first name terms with Brooke, whereas everyone else is referred to as 'Mr' or 'Cllr', for example? I smell a rat........ Also, if your 'disability' is so severe that you can't walk a few yards to the nearest car park like the rest of us, should you really be behind the wheel of a vehicle. Mmmmmm, interesting point, comments please..............

It isn't an interesting point - people with blue badges are disabled WALKERS - that doesn't necessarily they can't drive. I'm fine provided my weight isn't on my feet and legs. I can drive without problem, but walking is an altogether different matter.
......
You sit down to drive - perhaps only people who have difficulty while sat down in a chair should have a blue badge. Mmmmmmmmmm.

Besides which, it isn't necessarily the DRIVER who is the blue badge holder - it can be the passenger who keeps their blue badge with them for use in any car in which they are a passenger.

It's interesting enough for you to respond..... Did you take your driving test before or after your disability arrived? Where you assessed on your ability to perform an emergency stop? See my point? Mmmmmmmmm.......

Hitting a brake and walking are two very different actions. Yes, I can do an emergency stop - I did one a couple of weeks ago when a cat ran out in front of my car. It was not a problem.
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I have collapsed joints in my feet due to a permanent medical condition, which means I walk on the wrong parts of the bones in my feet. Momentary pain when hitting the brake and clutch is bearable - pain with every step I take is just bearable (I'm a woman!) but the blue badge means I will end up in a wheelchair a bit later than I would if I didn't have one - or perhaps I should just stay housebound.
.......
There are many reasons why someone has a blue badge - mine is just one.
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I'm in favour of temporary blue badges. For instance people who have hip or knee replacements don't all recover at the same rate. I know a few who are still walking with pain after a year. Why can't disabled parking permits be issued by a hospital when a patient is discharged from being an in-patient, and have to hand it back when they are finally discharged from out-patients?
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I think you'll find that, like me, most blue badge holders would rather not have one - it would mean that we could walk without problem just like nearly everyone else who seems to want a disability.

Carolyn43 wrote:

Letcommonsenseprevai l wrote:

Carolyn43 wrote:

Letcommonsenseprevai l wrote: Furthermore, how come the reporter seems to be on first name terms with Brooke, whereas everyone else is referred to as 'Mr' or 'Cllr', for example? I smell a rat........ Also, if your 'disability' is so severe that you can't walk a few yards to the nearest car park like the rest of us, should you really be behind the wheel of a vehicle. Mmmmmm, interesting point, comments please..............

It isn't an interesting point - people with blue badges are disabled WALKERS - that doesn't necessarily they can't drive. I'm fine provided my weight isn't on my feet and legs. I can drive without problem, but walking is an altogether different matter. ...... You sit down to drive - perhaps only people who have difficulty while sat down in a chair should have a blue badge. Mmmmmmmmmm. Besides which, it isn't necessarily the DRIVER who is the blue badge holder - it can be the passenger who keeps their blue badge with them for use in any car in which they are a passenger.

It's interesting enough for you to respond..... Did you take your driving test before or after your disability arrived? Where you assessed on your ability to perform an emergency stop? See my point? Mmmmmmmmm.......

Hitting a brake and walking are two very different actions. Yes, I can do an emergency stop - I did one a couple of weeks ago when a cat ran out in front of my car. It was not a problem. ...... I have collapsed joints in my feet due to a permanent medical condition, which means I walk on the wrong parts of the bones in my feet. Momentary pain when hitting the brake and clutch is bearable - pain with every step I take is just bearable (I'm a woman!) but the blue badge means I will end up in a wheelchair a bit later than I would if I didn't have one - or perhaps I should just stay housebound. ....... There are many reasons why someone has a blue badge - mine is just one. ..... I'm in favour of temporary blue badges. For instance people who have hip or knee replacements don't all recover at the same rate. I know a few who are still walking with pain after a year. Why can't disabled parking permits be issued by a hospital when a patient is discharged from being an in-patient, and have to hand it back when they are finally discharged from out-patients? ...... I think you'll find that, like me, most blue badge holders would rather not have one - it would mean that we could walk without problem just like nearly everyone else who seems to want a disability.

You're not meant to perform emergency stops for cats, and I was talking about our MP, not you. I'm sure there are many great examples of deserving blue badge holders, but this ain't it (neither are the blue badge holders regularly seen pulling up at Tesco's in their 4x4's with 'I Love Horses' plastered all over them!!!!

manyogie wrote:
Who would monitor when the temporary need was over then
?

If its not renewed after an expiry date, who needs to monitor it ?

manyogie wrote:
Who would monitor when the temporary need was over then
?

They could connect it to the Police ANPR computer, using a badge when out of date is fraud so therefore is a police matter.

Having a temp blue badge would help a lot of people as long as the right steps are taken regarding ability.

You can't please everyone though, I wanted to park on Poole quay and enjoy the sunset with me Banger and Chips but found all the spaces were marked up for the Disabled and to top it all off there wasn't anyone there.

Hay ho...