Plans to ban blue badge drivers from parking in York city centre may breach the Human Rights Act, according to an opposition councillor.
Cllr Aisling Musson said that, despite York declaring itself the UK’s first human rights city in 2017, the authority still displayed a “fundamental” misunderstanding of human rights and said its plans were likely to breach its own equalities duties.
The council intends to permanently remove the exemption offered to blue badge holders which allowed them to park in the city’s footstreets, a move that was temporarily introduced to allow for social distancing and pavement cafe licences last year.
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The authority has said the move will allow for the implemention of counter-terrorism measures aimed at reducing the danger of a “hostile vehicle” attack.
Labour councillors tried to force a delay in the decision making process at a four-and-a-half hour scrutiny meeting on Monday night, but were outvoted by Liberal Democrat members.
Committee chair Jonny Crawshaw said today on social media that the proposals were “wrong”.
The council commissioned an independent report by sustainable travel consultancy Martin Higgitt Associates as part of the process.
Its core recommendations – that blue badge access should remain until improvements are made to the city centre and that a north-south two way cycle route should be built through the city centre – were not taken up by officers.
‘Devastating’ for disabled people
A report published last month by the York Human Rights City Network also called on the council to reinstate the blue badge exemption.
Cllr Katie Lomas, herself a blue badge holder, said: “This plan is disabling people and there is nothing in the report to mitigate against that – it is exactly the opposite of what is required of public bodies in law.”
The plans have attracted widespread opposition from campaigners and advocacy groups.
Helen Jones, of the York Disability Rights Forum, said Covid measures were being used as a “trojan horse”, adding that the changes would be “devastating” for disabled people.
Mick Phythian, of York Accessibility Action, said: “What the exclusion of Blue Badge holders from a further section of the city’s streets means, as officers and councillors have been repeatedly reminded, is that they are depriving disabled people of their independence and thus the ability to play an equal part in everyday life.”
Counter-terror police have advised the council that in the longer term they want to see all vehicles except blue light services banned from the city’s footstreets.