York Blue badge plan ‘a stain’ on city, says human rights expert
Disability advocacy groups say they are being shut out of the city centre.
Last updated 16th Nov 2021
Permanently banning blue badge parking in York city centre will be a “stain” on its reputation, a human rights expert has said.
City of York Council looks set to approve plans to remove the exemption offered to blue badge holders, which allowed them to park in the city’s footstreets, at a meeting of top councillors on Thursday.
The authority has come under sustained criticism from disability advocacy groups, who say they are being shut out of the city centre.
Paul Gready, director of the Centre for Applied Human Rights at the University of York, said: “This is a defining moment for York. What kind of community do we want our city to be – inclusive, tolerant of difference and welcoming, or exclusive, intolerant of difference and hostile to certain communities?”
Prof Gready played a key role when York declared itself the UK’s first human rights city in April 2017, in which “equality and non-discrimination” were one of five key priority areas.
He added: “If the council pushes through a permanent extension to footstreets in the city centre, and knowingly discriminates against an already marginalised group, it will be a stain on this administration and the city. It is surely preferable to take the extra time needed to find a solution that works for all of York’s residents.”
Prof Gready’s comments came as 16 York advocacy groups wrote an open letter to the people of York, pleading for their support, in a last ditch attempt to sway councillors.
The council has said the move will allow for the implemention of counter-terrorism measures aimed at reducing the danger of a “hostile vehicle” attack, as advised by the security services.
It has said it must consider the “right to life” of all its residents, as set out in the European Convention on Human Rights, in light of the terror threat.
The open letter from the York organisations accuses the council of “trying to exclude disabled people from the city centre.”
A City of York Council spokesperson said in response: “The council has a duty to protect the lives of residents and visitors, particularly in the context of the increased terrorism threat level – with police advising that we should only allow emergency vehicles into the pedestrianised area of the city centre.
“A decision on the long term anti-terrorism measures would also mean that less intrusive security bollards would be installed in the city centre instead of the temporary barriers now in place for the festive season.
“We know this will have a significant impact on a group of blue badge holders, and for the last two years we have been actively engaging with disabled residents and groups to find a range of alternative measures.
“This engagement has led to the development of proposals which respond to the current challenges and would implement many of the recommendations put forward by external consultants.”
Blue badge parking will return to Castlegate if the plans are approved, however.
The spokesperson added: “It could also see significant investment in additional parking bays, improved pavements, more benches and facilities, employment of a new access officer role to lead on future access work, including exploring the potential for an electric shuttle bus.
“We do understand that for some blue badge holders this does not replace the parking on St Helen’s Square and surrounding streets, but the proposals going to executive reflect the extremely difficult balance the council has to find.”