A DISABLED pensioner has hit out at a housing association for installing posts that mean he has to park further away from his home.

Sovereign Housing placed the wooden barriers along a grassed area on Gainsborough Green in Abingdon last week, which is at the back of David Baker’s Turner Road property.

The 80-year-old said: “I used to park just a metre from my house, on the grass, not in anybody’s way but now they've put posts around that area and blocked me in.”

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He explained: “My legs are bad and my occupational therapist said they needed to put a disabled parking bay on the main road.

"Sovereign are supposed to be organising that but we don’t know what’s happening."

Oxford Mail:

Steph Wood, head of supported housing for Sovereign, which manages his property, said: “The grass near Mr Baker’s home is a shared space and was being used by a number of people to park their vehicles.

"This damaged the grass and made the ground uneven, so posts were installed to protect the area as part of a Neighbourhood Improvement Programme."

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She added three disabled parking spaces already exist on Turner Road near to Mr Baker’s home but Sovereign were supporting his Disabled Facilities Grant application for an alternative space on Gainsborough Green.

Ms Wood said: "This application is currently with Oxfordshire County Council’s Highways team.

Oxford Mail:

"We will be happy to provide Mr Baker with a paved path from his car to his home if this parking space is created, and we’re planning to visit him again soon, along with a representative from the Highways team, to make sure that he understands all of the parking options available to him.”

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The county authority said it had recently extended the disabled bay in the layby at the front of his property to aid residents but had 'agreed to pursue' Mr Baker's request.

A spokesman added: "To install the second disabled bay a footway needs to be installed by Sovereign Housing, which we believe they have agreed to do.

"The plan is to promote the installation second bay some time this year – this will involve the footway work being carried out by Sovereign Housing as well as a Traffic Regulation Order for which a consultation is required to ensure that the proposed bay can only legally be used by disabled persons."