Parking: big changes loom

New measures to be discussed by the council's executive on Monday include restricting the length of time blue badge holders can park, introducing parking charges on Bank holidays, and forcing drivers to key in registration numbers when buying parking tickets.

The excess charge system will also be widened to include motorists who fail to key in car numbers.

In a report to the executive, the cost of updating parking meters is put at £20,000, but that money is expected to be recovered within 12 months because drivers will no longer be able to pass unexpired tickets to other motorists.

Only five objections have been received to the new moves all them centred on the plan to limit the period of stay for disabled drivers.

The measure would prevent disabled people exceeding the maximum length of stay for each car park. At the moment, disabled drivers can park for as long as they want in any council car park.

One objector, Ken Hawtin, the chairman of Age Concern, Banbury, said: "The proposals change the conditions under which disabled people can exercise their parking rights, and they ignore the spirit of national legislation, passed by Parliament."

Mr Hawtin said the new rules imposed additional tasks on disabled drivers.

Jill Head, chairman of the Friends of Frank Wise Special school, said the new proposals would be confusing to blue badge holders who would expect the national system of a three-hour maximum stay to apply. She also asked for car parks to be open to some high vehicles.

She said: "This school has some quite high mini buses and some car parks are inaccessible to us."

Andrew Fulljames, the council's executive member for property and regeneration, said: "Monday's meeting will discuss all the options and we will make a decision based on what is said. The executive will be sensible and consider the objections to disabled parking changes, but we do not believe that our proposals contravene national legislation."