Blue badge parking fees plan is dropped

Parking fees will not be introduced for disabled drivers in Walsall after transport chiefs rejected the controversial move.

The introduction of car park charges for blue badge holders was being considered by the cash-strapped council in a review of parking.

But the proposal, which has been adopted by other authorities across the country, has been quashed by transport boss, Councillor Tom Ansell. It was suggested blue badge holders should be charged the same fees as other members of the public.

It came after research showed such an approach was used in Weymouth and Portland. The full review by a designated parking working group will go before the decision-making cabinet in the coming weeks.

But Councillor Ansell said: "At this stage we are not introducing charges for blue badge holders. It is not the appropriate time to introduce new charges when we are already looking at charges we have in existence."