A controversial plan to reduce free parking for Blue Badge holders has been branded a “direct attack on disabled people”.

Councillors in Canterbury are set to rubber-stamp a proposal to slash the length of complimentary stays from three hours to two as part of a raft of district-wide changes.

But the move - which the council says will save it £30,000 a year - has been met with widespread anger, with critics labelling it “cruel and discriminatory”.

Among those calling for the plan to be scrapped is 42-year-old Craig Potter, a full-time wheelchair user from Whitstable.

He says reducing the time period will only raise extra money from disabled people who require the extra time to complete trips.

“If it’s a money-making measure, as they say, then it directly exploits disabled people who need more than two hours,” he said.

“It sends out completely the wrong message.

“For disabled people it takes longer to get around town, longer to go in and out of shops, longer to get served. We often have to use different routes to non-disabled people.

“Some disabled people will have to stop for rests, or more toilet breaks, and others will have to use changing facilities should they have an accident.

“It generally takes longer to move around.”

Mr Potter says disabled people are also typically more reliant on their cars, and generally earn lower incomes.

“It’s a direct attack on disabled people,” he said.

“For many disabled people shopping is a means of exercise, of getting some fresh air, of not being isolated, of socialising.

“Any measure that discourages them from doing that is just cruel and discriminatory.

“It doesn’t make sense to target those who are already disproportionately affected by things like austerity, and now the pandemic.

“Disabled people are being seen as easy pickings. It’s utterly demoralising. I would urge councillors to completely reverse this cruel policy.”

Caroline Mumford, also from Whitstable, is a carer for her 13-year-old son, Thomas, who has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair.

She has accused the council of “penny-pinching”.

“It seems like they’re picking on the most vulnerable people in society and profiteering off those who have less money,” she said.

“It’s discrimination and really does send the wrong message.”

“For me to get around Canterbury it takes longer to unload a child in a wheelchair, and the three hours allows me not to rush. With Thomas it takes longer to do things in our lives.”

The proposal is part of a wider district parking policy set to be rubber-stamped next week.

It includes plans to increase hourly charges by 70p in some city centre car parks as the council looks to claw back considerable sums lost during the Covid pandemic.

Council leader Ben Fitter-Harding (Con) says determining the budget has been “incredibly difficult” and reducing the free parking period is not a decision the council has taken lightly.

“The discretionary Blue Badge parking is absolutely one of the areas I did not want to look at changing,” he said.

“However, it is discretionary and I think giving three hours has been brilliant.

“Reducing to two hours will be able to help the council save about £30,000, which is much-needed at the moment.”

He added that two hours is still a “responsible amount of time”.

The district parking policy was approved by the Regeneration Committee last month and is expected to be ratified by the Policy Committee on Monday.

Changes will come into effect from April 1.

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