Call for more parking time

Traffic orders proposed by Durham County Council limit visits by orange badge holders to recently-revamped Newgate Street to before 11.30am and after 4.30pm.

But users of special parking bays, which are only yards from the shops, say the times are too restrictive and are stopping them from visiting the town.

Bishop Auckland's Town Centre Forum and Chamber of Trade are both asking the highways authority to extend the morning session by an hour.

Trader Margaret Ellis said: "As far as I am concerned, disabled drivers could park there all day.

"It is impossible for anyone who is disabled to get into town and do their shopping so early in the morning. I don't think these people understand the needs of disabled people."

One driver, who has asked not to be named, claimed disabled people were being discriminated against and made to feel 'second class'.

He said the special bays were deserted during the most popular shopping times, adding: "Have the planners thought that, for most disabled people, the task of getting ready and having their shopping completed by 11.30am is a major task?

"I would like to call into a caf and have a bowl of soup while I do my shopping, just like everybody else, but these hours don't let me.

"And if I have to wait until 4.30pm some shops are closed and there is not much left in places like fruit and vegetable stores and butchers.

"I cannot see that it would hinder business to allow disabled people more flexible parking times."

The county council has published new traffic orders and is asking people for their views.

Anne Cowie, co-ordinator of the Wear Valley Disability Access Forum, called for tighter policing of the parking bays.

She said: "The imposition of fines to anyone who is in any way illegally parked must be enforced to ensure that the bays are used by those for whom they were intended."

Durham County Council said they were consulting over the orders and would listen to people's views very carefully.