YORK council now offers consultation with Blue Badge holders on the radical changes in the plan for disabled parking in the city. Or have the decisions already been made?

This new plan offers very little for those severely disabled people, who, once parked, require a wheelchair or other mobility device to continue into the city.

The shared loading and disabled parking in Duncombe Place is very difficult to park in, given the huge number of fast food delivery drivers who park under the guise of 'loading' and waiting for their next delivery. I’ve seen this on more than one occasion.

The reasoning behind the council's plans still includes 'to reduce the threat of terrorist acts'.

Yet, outside of pedestrian hours in the city, on an evening and at night, vehicles are still allowed into the city centre. Do terrorists now only operate in during the day?

In the late Nineties/early Noughties, as a then officer for City of York Council, I actually wrote the council’s first procedure and policy for terrorist protection in consultation with The Home Office.

I will give my opinion in this consultation, but I fear - as many blue badge holders will - that this council’s mind is already made up, unless it can be proved by campaigners that laws are being broken.

The undercurrent of this council to ban cars from the city, carte blanche, continues to be alive and kicking! And the appeal for me of a visit to York city centre decreases daily!

John Aked,

The Meadows,

Skelton, York