A DISABLED rights cam-paigner who sparked a parking re-think at Blackburn's hos-pital has said the results are "completely inadequate".

Bob Simpson, chairman of Blackburn with Darwen Disabled Access Group, said there were still not enough disabled spaces at Royal Blackburn Hospital, even though they had gone up from seven to 45.

Car park bosses said they believed there were enough spaces, but Mr Simpson said the solution was "wholly, totally and completely inadequate".

Mr Simpson said the hospital, which opened in July, needed at least 100 spaces - and members were furious they had not been consulted before work went ahead.

He added: "It is absolutely disgraceful. They have gone ahead and made inadequate alterations without completing consultation with an organisation that has been trying to help both them and the patients at the hospital.

"In the strongest possible terms I condemn them for that. They are riding roughshod over the disabled of Blackburn with Darwen."

The old Blackburn Royal Infirmary and Queen's Park Hospitals had 60 spaces each, he said.

The car park is managed by Consort, a private group headed by Balfour Beatty, which built the hospital.

Mr Simpson said he was pleased that some hard-to-get-to spaces on a raised elevation were now in the new enclosure.

Disabled people do not have to pay to park in a designated bay. Others have to pay, but if disabled badge holders have to park in a normal space they will have their ticket paid for by the trust and Consort. Mr Simpson said this was unfair as the trust had never had to pay before. The lowest fee is £1.50 for three hours.

A spokeswoman for Consort said: "The figures that Consort have indicate that the number of car parking spaces will be sufficient but we will be monitoring the situation on an ongoing basis."

Finance director at the NHS trust, Stephen Brookfield, said: "We are not making any comment whether we believe there are enough spaces or not until we have seen the evidence either way."

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