Birkenhead woman says Wirral Council gave in to bullies over disabled parking row

Jul 8 2009 by Carrie Catterall, Heswall News

A DISGRUNTLED resident has accused Wirral Council of “giving in to bullies” over disabled parking.

Two years after Monica Faulkner, 65, applied for a disabled bay outside her house in Parkhill Road, Birkenhead, the council has said she can have it, but it is going to move the markings.

Now the white lettering on the outside of the seven bays will be blacked out and repainted inside the bay.

This has come after a compromise between 26 petitioners in the road and the council.

The petitioners said they didn’t want any more bays in the road because they make the area look “untidy”.

Monica, who suffers from arthritis, multi-abdominal hernias, osteoporosis and hypertension, said “To me, this is discrimination and if the council isn’t going to remove the paint on parking bays throughout the whole of Wirral, which I think would be a waste of money, then it’s not fair to just target one street – it’s ridiculous.”

Birkenhead Councillor Frank Doyle said: “I’m happy that this extra disabled parking bay is going in for Monica but I think it should have gone through to committee first.

“I hope this situation doesn’t set a precedent.”