DISABLED drivers are to be charged to park in all Waverley car parks from next week unless they can prove they are receiving income-related benefits.

Charging for Blue Badge holders was agreed as part of the borough council’s annual budget set at full council on February 21, and takes affect from Monday, April 3.

Disabled drivers will only be able to avoid charges if they are on income-related benefits, and, if so, are being encouraged to apply for a free Waverley disabled parking permit.

A WBC spokesman said: “The possession of a Blue Badge is a recognition of a physical disability and Waverley makes provision to assist those with physical disabilities by providing disabled parking bays convenient to locations people wish to go to and provide extra space to enable them to get in and out of their vehicles.

“Free car parking will continue to be available for drivers with a disability who are on income related benefits, they will need to apply for one of our new permits display the permit in the front windscreen alongside their Blue Badge. The aim is to provide free parking for those who need it most.”

The changes shoud generate £75,000 extra income per annum for the council, and come as part of Waverley’s attempts to replace reductions to its central Government funding.

But the move has already courted controversy, and in a letter to this week’s Herald, Hindhead resident Jeremy Barnes condemned the council for “placing a further obstacle in the path of disabled people”.

Mr Barnes said: “This will generate an insignificant percentage of Waverley’s annual income, cost a fortune to run and police, make life even more complicated for disabled people, deter disabled people visiting, create dismay, anger and alienation among already besieged vulnerable people, and demonstrate to the world Waverley’s penny-pinching ethos is at odds with its average wealth. Worse, if the idea spreads and hard-pressed councils implement the scheme nationwide, it will go down in history as the vicious face of modern local government.”