Council leader labelled ‘a disgrace’ over comments in Blue Badge parking row

WILTSHIRE Council will continue to charge Blue Badge holders to park in council-owned car parks despite calls from councillors and disabled people to reverse the decision.

During a meeting held last week, Conservative leader of Wiltshire Council, Richard Clewer, said that those who used Blue Badges are mostly elderly with mobility problems, who are not necessarily struggling financially. His remarks sparked an angry response from opposition parties, who called for an apology.

Melksham councillor, Jon Hubbard, whose mother was a Blue Badge holder in her 60s when she was dying of cancer, said he had never felt so upset in the council chamber. Councillor Caroline Corbin, who has cerebral palsy and is a Blue Badge holder, said the council leader should “hang your head in shame.”

Melksham councillor Mike Sankey also suggested that Wiltshire councillors should give up their free parking permits as a way to subsidise the loss in revenue if Blue Badge holders could park for free.

At the full Wiltshire Council meeting last week, councillors approved the budget for 2024/25, with council leader, Richard Clewer, saying that the council’s finances are “strong”. An amendment was put forward by the Liberal Democrats which suggested that the council should use its financial stability to reverse the decision to charge Blue Badge holders, a decision which was brought in last year.

However, the amendment was voted down. During the discussion, cllr Clewer said, “The evidence is still the same. 80% of Blue Badges are issued to people because they have developed mobility issues as they age, not because they are facing a degree of poverty, but because they have gotten older.”

He added, “The idea of subsidising people because they have gotten old to get free parking doesn’t make sense based on the evidence.”

Responding to his comments, Salisbury councillor Caroline Corbin, who has cerebral palsy and is a Blue Badge user, said, “Cllr Clewer, I hope you hang your head in shame. To say that people have disability badges due to them losing their mobility as they are getting older is complete tosh.”

She added, “You are a disgrace. I’ve had cerebral palsy since I was born and I’ve raised the safety issue in the past that disabled people parking on double yellow lines is not safe, so to revert back to free parking for these people is the only solution.”

Melksham council- lor Jon Hubbard said, “I don’t think I’ve ever been so angry and so upset in this chamber as I am now. How dare you, cllr Clewer. When my mother was in possession of her Blue Badge, it wasn’t because she was old or decrepit, it was because she was dying of cancer. She wasn’t in her 70s; she was barely into her 60s. That’s not old; that’s disabled, and they are different.

“I thank you today, as you’ve turned my vote. I was intending to speak on why you aren’t spending this money on relocating ticket machines, but you’ve made me think of the attitude there clearly is towards these Blue
Badge users.

“The people that use these permits have real and genuine needs.”

He added, “I think you owe an apology to every single disabled person who lives in this county for the statement you have made. It was truly shocking and I am disappointed
in you.”

After the amendment was voted on, cllr Hub- bard then said, “I have just checked the official government statistics which clearly show that roughly 50% of those Blue Badges are issued to those aged 60 plus – the remainder to age bands beneath. My point of order is that being told that 80% of Blue Badges are issued to those who are 70- plus is not what the official government website says.”

Melksham councillor Mike Sankey suggested that Wiltshire councillors should give up their free parking permits as a way to subsidise the loss in revenue should the amendment
have passed.

He said, “When we first introduced parking charges for Blue Badge holders, I did find it difficult to support. The problem I have with this amendment is that we don’t know how much money we are talking about and there are no means to replace the loss in revenue.”

He added, “I could be persuaded to support this amendment if we suggested that to mitigate the loss in revenue that this council discontinues the issuing of free parking permits to members as that way, we could all do something to help Blue Badge
holders by sticking our hands in our own pockets.”