Parking row on Skipton street over application to extend disabled parking bay

Residents have objected to a disabled parking bay being extended because of the applicant's "sketchy" driving.

The row broke out after an unnamed resident of Montgomery Street in Skipton applied to increase their space from 5m to 6.6m.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service disgruntled neighbours claimed the driver regularly mounts the kerb.

In a public consultation, one objector said: “This parking has put our property at risk and seen our own car damaged.

"By moving the space closer, you would be increasing the risk of her getting even closer to our property and causing serious damage and as this is our only living room, putting our four-month-old baby and my wife who is on maternity leave at risk, as this is the main room they use during the day.”

Another objector said the council should reject the application due to the applicant's "sketchy" driving ability.

They said: "To make their car parking disabled space even bigger means that in our small street, they will have the space of three cars as we adjust to try to make allowances for theirs."

Another suggested the council should offer free driving lessons to the applicant so they could learn how to park in the disabled space they currently have.

Motorists who hold a blue badge can apply to introduce an on-street Resident’s Disabled Parking Bay (RDPB) next to their home if they don’t have access to off-street parking such as a drive or garage.

Increasing the space to 6.6m would bring it into line with Department for Transport regulations but would mean less space for other cars parking on the street.

A council officer has disputed these claims and recommended that the application is approved adding they see “no valid reason” why the bay could not be extended.

The application is due to be presented in a report to the council's executive member for transport on Friday, 26 January.

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