Threat of boycott over lack of disabled parking spaces

Mike Edser, who suffers from multiple sclerosis, said Northallerton High Street has only a quarter of the spaces it should have.

He claims that disabled people in the town are starting to think about doing their shopping elsewhere because of the lack of parking.

But traffic officials at North Yorkshire County Council have promised that more spaces are on the way.

At the moment, there are disabled bays on the east side of the High Street, at the town hall and near the entrance to Zetland Street.

On the west side, there is one space outside the post office, and another at the north end of the High Street, opposite the police station.

Mr Edser said: "If you are in a wheelchair and want to park on that side of the High Street, there is nothing between the post office and the police station.

"The park outside the post office is parallel to the street, so it is very hard to get into. It is no good at all if you are trying to get into your wheelchair.

"The shops are suffering because disabled people aren't going to them anymore.

"All the disabled people in this town are thinking about taking all our shopping elsewhere, to somewhere more disabled-friendly.

"They have tried being polite and nothing has been done, so they are thinking about creating hell with banners and gongs in the High Street."

He said the county council told him that there would be extra spaces in the High Street six months ago, and nothing has yet been done.

Eddy Hayward, Hambleton area traffic manager for the county council, apologised for the delay and said, weather permitting, council workers would be painting in another disabled bay outside Woolworths next week.

The authority is in the process of putting together a new traffic management strategy for Northallerton.

Mr Hayward said: "We have already recognised that we do need some more disabled bays in the High Street, and there will be some additional spaces going in, in the not-too-distant future."