DISABLED drivers and business owners have hit out at changes to Chard’s parking spaces.

First, two disabled parking spaces were removed from High Street, sparking backlash from less mobile residents.

These spaces were changed into a loading bay, which is next to a central reservation, forcing lorry drivers to travel down the wrong side of the road into oncoming traffic when they leave the new space.

Then, a loading bay was removed from Holyrood Street and turned into two new disabled parking bays.

This change has seen backlash from businesses on the narrow road who say they were not properly consulted on the planned changes.

One disabled driver, who wished to remain anonymous, hit out at Somerset County Council’s changes calling the new arrangements ‘chaos’.

Of the change from disabled bays to loading bay on High Street, he said: “Is it a good idea to make drivers go into oncoming traffic on the wrong side of the road?

“I will keep pushing against this. Those disabled spaces were in a nice, convenient place. I cannot believe they took away the disabled bays and not any other two spaces on High Street.”

Chard & Ilminster News:

A lorry parked in the new High Street loading bay

Lin Philip is the proprietor of Pets Pantry in Holyrood Street.

She is disabled, so understands the need for the parking spaces, but cannot understand why businesses on the road have been punished without anyone speaking to them directly.

She said: “It is obvious this would affect businesses using those bays. I have talked to the other business owners down here and nobody consulted them either.

“Why don’t the council just come out and observe on a busy day all of us trying to get our deliveries in.”

Lin said in one day there she has had a big lorry, two couriers and a frozen delivery. She has seen deliveries coming in for the Polish shop, the pharmacy, the DIY store, the butchers and bath house, as well as an ambulance trying to access the narrow street.

Chard & Ilminster News:

The new disabled bays on Holyrood Street

She added: “I can absolutely guarantee nobody has been in here, otherwise we would have kicked up a fuss.

“It hasn’t been very well thought out at all.”

A spokesman for SCC said they placed notices of planned changes and spoke to the town council.

“These changes have only just been put in place and as with all changes of this kind, we will monitor how they work and consider further changes if they are considered necessary, but at this stage that is not the case,” the spokesman added.