A planning application has been submitted for a new town centre Police Station in a building currently used as an Art Gallery. The current building has a staff car park for 25 car and the applicant has stated they only require 20 spaces for operational vehicles. However they have extended their application to include land that is currently used as a dedicated car park for 8 Blue Badge vehicles. 

The 8 spaces are very close to the Shopmobility service that provides an invaluable service to enable people to access shops and services in the town centre.

The alternatives that have been put forward will seriously disadvantage disabled people or anyone who has mobility problems. The relocation into a public car park by the Library would increase the distance people have to walk or use a wheelchair. Anyone with a walking stick or crutches would particularly find this a problem. The conversion if Egerton Street into Blue Badge only will not created dedicated parking bays and there would be no guarantee that there would be adequate space to drop a ramp from the back of a vehicle. This latter suggestion cannot be agreed by the Planning Committee so there is no guarantee it would be approved.

We have no objection to the change of use of the building or the other structural changes but we do want to ensure that disabled people using facilities in Wrexham have suitable car parking to meet their needs.