BLUE badge holders held a peaceful protest outside the Mansion House in York - calling on councillors to reverse the ban that excludes them from parking in the city centre.

Reverse the Ban, a coalition group of 27 organisations that represent disabled and older people, demonstrated outside a full City of York Council meeting which was being held today (Thursday, October 20).

The council voted to remove their parking exemption which allowed blue badge holders to park in the city’s footstreets in November 2021.

The council has said this to allow room for anti-terror bollards to be installed,  move strongly urged by North Yorkshire Police and anti-terror experts.

York Press: The protest outside Mansion House The protest outside Mansion House (Image: Emily Horner)

Sue Lister, from Ageing Without Children, said: "Bristol and Bath are cities that have safeguarded from terrorism but have mitigation measures to allow blue badge holders into their city centre.

"It's no good saying how wonderful it is to wander around York with no cars, but people who can't walk more than 50m can't walk in, that's why they have a blue badge, they can't use the park and ride- they need their car for medications, or have mental illness and need a safe space in their car to sit calmly and quietly.

"They say this is for anti-terrorism measures, but they don't exclude all traffic, they still allow Royal Mail and delivery vans who they have given permits to.

"The Martin Higgitt report was commissioned by the council where they spoke to us and what the police said about terrorism threat, but it was ignored in the council meeting -despite it showing a win-win situation.

"I can't bear discrimination, I am outraged - you are our council, do the right thing, you are supposed to be a human rights city."