Northampton Borough Council in partnership with the Northamptonshire Police are to ban disabled people from parking in Northampton Town centre as from December 1 2001 until 5 January 2002.
During the busiest shopping period of the year, disabled people are to be denied access to shops in the town centre that they are use to "to reassure pedestrians of their safety and to maintain the free flow of traffic around the town centre over the Christmas/New Year period" - and that's official.
The NBC placed a 'Public Notice' in the towns newspaper last night at the request of the Northamptonshire Police, or so it alleged, which bans parking in all the disabled area's we enjoy at present around Northampton Town Centre for the above specified period.
The notice in the press last night which has sparked a public outcry

A colleague of Webby spoke to the Borough Council's legal department who said: "We were told to place the notice in the newspaper at the request of the police. I shall try and get someone to ring you concerning this matter."
So Webby got his friend to ring the Northamptonshire Police HQ at Wootton Hall to see what they had to say on the matter. A spokesperson from the police press department said "It does look as though you won't be allowed to park in the disabled bays, you shall be allowed to drop off someone who is disabled but, if you park up, then it certainly looks as though the police would take action."
The only advice to anyone who is disabled and was thinking of coming to Northampton is:
DON'T BOTHER COMING TO NORTHAMPTON TO DO YOUR SHOPPING, MEET FRIENDS, HAVE A DRINK OR ENJOY A MEAL. THE BOROUGH COUNCIL AND THE NORTHAMPTONSHIRE POLICE HAVE MADE IT CLEAR IN THE ABOVE NOTICE THAT THEY DON'T WANT DISABLED PEOPLE CLUTTERING UP THE TOWN WITH THEIR VEHICLES.
Well forgive me for having a disability!!
So what is a disabled person who requires a carer to accompany them to do?

What is a disabled person to do who can't manage to get their own wheelchair out of their vehicle?

Does the Borough Council & the Police expect the carer to 'drop off' their disabled relative / friend and leave them on the pavement while they attempt to find a parking space, more than likely in the rain or snow?
I can imagine 'Cllr Terry Wire' (Lab - St James) following wheelchairs around town with one of his traffic wardens (under cover of course) ,and waiting for them to stop moving so they can pounce and slap a ticket on the wheelchair!!
Maybe they shall try and get us arrested if we stop and look into a shop window for causing an obstruction?
SO MUCH FOR THE SEASON OF GOODWILL!
We have just received a phone call from one Andy Roberts from the Northamptonshire Police Press Office who has just told us: "It looks as if something has gone into the paper which should not have done or that the situation has not been made clear. It is now being revised as a matter of some urgency."
Both the NBC and the Northamptonshire Police have said that it happens every year, but I have been using these disabled parking bays around Northampton Town centre for the past 12 years, and not once have I been denied access to the disabled parking bays or double yellow lines or been ticketed for using them.
That said, its obvious to those in the know that the connection between the Borough Council & the Northamptonshire Police Authority is none other than the disabled persons friend, Cllr Terry Wire - who is the deputy on both bodies (or was).
I have spoken to numerous disabled people in Northampton this afternoon, who have also confirmed that they have never before come across this situation. Mrs Marie Thubron (Co-Chair - Northampton Disabled Persons Forum), also stated on BBC Radio Northampton this lunchtime that she has been contacted by numerous people concerned about this notice.
If this notice is enforced then it infringes the Disability Discrimination Act and ones Civil Rights.
I for one would have certainly parked in the bays & yellow lines to force a hearing in the courts over the legality of such action, be them by the Northampton Borough Council or the Northamptonshire Police.
Anyway, listen to BBC Radio Northampton between Noon and 2:00 PM on Monday 26 November, when this issue is to be talked about on the phone-in on the Richard Olffe show.....should be interesting. You can tune into BBC Radio Northampton on 104 FM, ring Richard & have your say.

LATEST UPDATE.... Well, I hope you listened to Richard Oliff's show today as you would have heard Tim Turner himself stating that the NBC shall not be allowing disabled people to park where they normally park all year round over the Christmas period.
Tim Turner said that these restrictions were not aimed at disabled people, but I ask Tim Turner this - who else is given the concession apart from the disabled to park on double yellow lines? NO ONE IS.
How on Earth Tim Turner can say that these restrictions are not aimed at keeping the disabled out of Northampton Town Centre beggars belief. At the last but one meeting of the Northampton Disabled Person's Forum, Peter Viner (Tim Turners second), admitted, when asked a question about parking concessions for the disabled, that he did not know what the concessions were!
This is typical of the understanding that many Borough Council officers and councillors have of issues relating to the disabled, none. But what is worse still is that they don't appear to care either, despite desperate cries of "don't do it" from disabled members of the public.
These so called 'public servants' appear to be running amok in the Guildhall and appear to be out of the control of their political masters - 'delegated powers' I believe they call it. A number of councillors have commented to Webby recently about officers acting without them knowing and, only finding out information via telephone conversations or this website.
SO WHERE SHOULD THE DISABLED SHOPPER GO FOR A FRIENDLY, ACCESSIBLE WELCOME?
I highly recommend shopping in Rugby Town Centre, its great for the disabled. They have recently marked out many more disabled parking places in the town centre itself, its free, its 'disabled friendly & welcoming', its got some marvellous old buildings, well kept pedestrian areas, a great friendly atmosphere, easy access to public toilets and green parkland in the town centre and, as a bonus, the beers very good too.
Kettering Town Centre is also a good place for the disabled shopper, with ample disabled parking bays and good access to the shopping area, its pretty flat for the sole wheelchair user and you don't have to use intimidating multi-story car parks.
Then of course there is the #1 choice of thousands of Northampton shoppers - Milton Keynes. Fantastic shopping mall for the disabled, very user friendly, completely level shopping area which is perfect for the wheelchair users, Shop Mobility inside the shopping mall & not tucked away in a multi story car park like Northampton, second to none access to ALL shops and stores and of course, numerous disabled parking bays.
While the town centre manager for Northampton said yesterday on the radio that he had problems parking in Milton Keynes and that it took him an hour to find a spot! I would respond by saying: "That's because its where all the shoppers from Northampton go, because of the dreadful TOPP's scheme and now this disgraceful ban on the disabled, that's why its so busy."
Well things have certainly been moving quickly since yesterday and, in particular, since Richard Oliff had a phone-in on his BBC Radio Northampton show (104 FM).
Richard Oliff was inundated with phone calls from angry, upset and even emotional disabled callers who feared that they would not be able to park close to the shops that they wished to visit.
But with the Northampton St Crispin News Service campaign, the Richard Oliff radio show and BBC Look East all making noises concerning this issue, the Borough Council now seems to be backing off a little.
Webby has made numerous telephone calls to try and resolve this issue and I have posted the context of those calls below.
10:17 Tuesday 27 November: Mr Chris Andrews from the Northampton Borough Council's Legal Department said: "Disabled people are NOT going to be able to park in town."
10:24 Tuesday 27 November: Northamptonshire Police Press Office: "Traffic control is now the Borough Council's department, and no, we (Northamptonshire Police) did not ask the Borough Council to advertise the legal notice or have anything else to do with it."
10:50 Tuesday 27 November: Heather Caswell from the Northampton Borough Council's Transportation Department: "What is going to happen now is that we shall monitor the traffic situation constantly throughout the each day and, if traffic does begin to 'clog up', then we shall pop-out and put out some cones. If there are cones out you won't be able to park on double yellow lines, so you'll just have to find somewhere else to park."