LETTER: Yet again disabled are disadvantaged

Yet again North Sussex Committee please themselves.
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I see our ‘esteemed North Sussex Committee’ has yet again decided to pick and choose ‘bits’ from the inspector’s report which cost WSCC a good deal of money and ignore ‘bits’ which have not suited their purposes .

But surely if they are to follow the inspector’s report and place the TRO on East Street, Horsham, as permanent as they HAVE then they SHOULD by law follow all of it?

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I refer to their decision to not follow the idea of the parking for Blue Badge holders in Market Square as reported.

But as I say that goes AGAINST the inspector’s recommendations.

He said in his report and I quote directly:

“6.23 I conclude that, subject to measures as indicated to improve the usability of the replacement Blue Badge parking spaces in Carfax, the benefits of the Orders in facilitating the safe passage on the roads of pedestrians and improving the amenity of the area through which they run significantly outweighs the identified disadvantages. It is in the public interest to make the provisions of the Orders permanent.’’

So yet again the disabled are left disadvantaged and with the intention to hide the Blue Badge bays away in some obscure corner further than a disabled person can walk to.

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Bear in mind to qualify as disabled a limit to walk without severe pain or discomfort is 50 yards - if you can you do not qualify as disabled!

I would actually suggest that the North Sussex Committee may have contravened the spirit of the report if indeed not the law?

As has been proven by their actions they like to ‘pick and choose’ the bits they like.

Surely if that is the case then the report so costly because of their inability to arrive at a decent compromise and bow down to the eateries and so disadvantage the disabled has been a total waste of time and money.

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But with The Olive Branch closing maybe the writing is on the wall for the eateries?

Has anyone noticed the severe lack of public seating in Horsham town? And what there is, is most often than not ill-suited to a disabled person.

Most need strong supporting arms on chairs / seats to be able to get up from a seating position and a lot of taller disabled cannot sit on the standard low seats as so often are provided.

As a example look at West Street, the only seats available are around the ‘fountain’ and are low benches with NO arms and invariably used as climbing frames for children.

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Now I love kids, but it needs attention. And while we are talking about that end of town there is a desperate need for Blue Badge bays there. The nearest are the few outside the library or in the multi-storey car parks Disabled need them close to shops.

The disabled and elderly are part of Horsham and eventually everyone gets old but hopefully not disabled.

But we should not be shoved in a corner - we do exist and have rights.

P. OWLES

Church Road, Horsham

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