AS BASINGSTOKE residents battled through the snow earlier this month, The Gazette reported how the community rallied round to support one another.

However, disabled shoppers visiting the Chineham District Centre, better known as Chineham Shopping Centre, were not feeling the community spirit.

As businesses and staff did their bit to clear the show and make the Reading Road facility accessible, the snow was left piled up in a number of the centres disabled parking bays.

One shopper, who did not wish to be named, visited the centre on Monday last week and told The Gazette that the standard parking spaces were free from snow.

They added: “I went to Chineham shopping centre yesterday (February 4) and found that the disabled spaces had been filled with snow from the pavement.

“I phoned the centre office and they said all the other spots in the car park were full and only the disabled ones free.”

They added: “I have yet to see Chineham Shopping Centre when all the disabled spots are empty, in fact 90 per cent of the time they are full.”

As previously reported in The Gazette, Tellon Capital, which runs the centre is looking to revitalise the area by introducing new features include additional shops, restaurants, a gym, a healthcare/business facility, a hotel and a boutique cinema.

A spokesperson from Tellon Capital said: “Our teams worked hard to keep the centre safe and usable during the recent extreme weather. Whilst snow was temporarily pushed into some disabled bays in one of the car parks, disabled spaces were cleared of snow and made available in the two other car parks at the centre.

“The restricted area that snowploughs were working in necessitated the use of some disabled bays, though we of course apologise for any disruption caused and want to emphasise that the centre’s accessibility to all users is of the utmost importance to us.”

To find out more about the proposed changes to the centre, go to chinehamshopping.co.uk.