Dear Editor,

Please, may I request the number of Church Street residents that have parking permits? Not names or addresses just the number of permits currently held.

My request comes after receiving a fine for parking in a ‘Shared’ parking spot. Having spent two cold nights in Church Street, I failed to see anyone park there with permits. The reason I parked where I did was to enable safe exit for my wife from our rear entry Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle, WAV.

There are no parking facilities for this type of vehicle in Basingstoke, all spaces are either one behind the other (Church Street leaving no room for access ramp) or accessible in car parks which means exiting into the flow of traffic, which I am sure is ignored by the planners to enable more spaces for paying visitors.

I recently sent photos of our vehicle in the Red Lion car park where yellow markings are on the ground, I am told for the benefit of queueing visitors at the pay point during the pandemic, these will in turn be brought back in line when the pandemic is deemed over so safety once more for the WAV’s kicked into touch.

I am pretty sure if I get a reply, it will be something in the line of ‘This, that and the other’ which will mean nothing will be done. I have to say with all the hoo-ha at No. 10 thinking a Tory based council will do anything to help is beyond me, just another Tory rip-off for the disabled I suppose, but I live in hope.

Name and address supplied