A LIMIT on disabled parking in an otherwise unlimited car park has been disputed by Northwich’s mayor.

The memorial hall car park, in Brockhurst Street, is a 24-hour free car park but a row of disabled spaces have a four-hour limit.

Clr Bob Robinson, mayor of Northwich, said: “I was approached by a man who says he goes to Chester on the bus.

“He drives to Northwich, parks in a disabled bay at the memorial hall car park, displays his stickers but now he’s seen that he has to vacate the space within four hours.

“If you’re going to Chester on bus it can take an hour because it goes around the houses.

“By the time you get there you only have an hour and a half to make sure you can get the bus back again within the four hours.

“There’s a sign on the car park that says it’s four hours for disabled bays but there’s no limit on all other bays.

“Was this not unlawful because it’s discriminatory?

“We have emailed Cheshire West and Chester Council to see if it’s right and they said it’s not discriminatory as it makes spaces more available for more disabled people.”

Car parks are the responsibility of Cheshire West and Chester Council (CWAC), which has also taken over enforcing parking restrictions.

A spokesman for CWAC said: “A disabled person can park in any of the spaces in the car park and use their disabled badge.

“The bigger bays are for people that need wider access and there has to be a certain amount of turnover for those.”