COMPLAINTS from disabled people about the impact of new parking controls in East Oxford are to be investigated by the Equality and Human Rights Commission.
The commission has written to Oxfordshire County Council asking for information about the proposals to create a controlled parking zone with parking on pavements in the Divinity Road area.
The commission decided to step in after hearing that disabled people were concerned that cars parked on pavements would leave them with insufficient space to get about in their wheelchairs.
Disabled people say they will be left with only one metre of pavement in which to manoeuvre their wheelchairs if the proposed parking zone goes ahead, which would affect their mobility and thereby breach their human rights.
The commission has written to County Hall asking whether the council has carried out a full disability impact assessment, demanded by law, before it pressed ahead with the controversial scheme.
In a letter to campaigners opposing the parking zone, the commission says it will first assess the information provided by County Hall before deciding whether it needs to use its legal enforcement powers.
Chris Lewendon, 64, who is blind and suffers from rheumatoid arthritis, said he was delighted that the case had been taken up by the commission.
Mr Lewendon lives in Southfield Road, which would be included in the Divinity Road CPZ.
His neighbour, Sietske Boeles, said: “In the Divinity Road area there are many elderly residents and a home for young people with cerebral palsy, who would have great difficulties to get about if this proposed CPZ scheme gets implemented.”
A county council spokesman said: “Highways officers carried out a full assessment of the potential impact of this proposal on disabled people. This assessment enabled councillors to make an informed decision when the proposed scheme went before the transport decisions committee in October.”
The introduction of parking zones has proved controversial in Oxford. The council believes the zones are necessary to protect residents from commuter parking, but many traders say they will damage business.
County Hall has approved the Divinity Road Area CPZ subject to the adjacent Magdalen Road area scheme getting the go-ahead.
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