Here we go again. I read the report that Cumbria County Council is proposing to close the disabled parking places in Market Place and Finkle Street at Kendal and move them to Highgate and Stricklandgate (Gazette, August 31, 'County seeks to move disabled bays').

This proposal raises a number of points.

Some years ago the council stopped disabled parking on Stricklandgate, saying it was too dangerous and then allowed some disabled parking in Market Place and Finkle Street - now it wants to reverse this. Why? What makes Stricklandgate safer now than it was?

This latest proposal may appear all right, providing the council doesn’t reduce the actual number of spaces. However, it is proposed to restrict disabled parking to between 11am and 4 pm. This will not do CCC, on two counts.

Firstly, surely disabled people have the right to park during normal shopping hours and, I believe, in the evenings for social purposes?

Secondly, and probably the more important, restricting the hours disabled people are allowed to park would be changing the current position to one making it worse than it was. As I understand it, any changes that make a situation worse for disabled people, breeches the Disability Discrimination Act.

Michael Hartley

Kendal