Waste of space?

The bays – located around a quarter of a mile from the town centre – were repainted by Central Beds workmen as part of a refresh of road markings in the area.

The council this week said the bays were part of a traffic regulation order for the area –but was unable to explain why the order had not been updated since closure of the office a decade ago, or the abolition of Mid Beds District Council in 2009.

One member of the public, who lives in one of the houses that now stand on the former office site, said: “I went outside last week and I asked what they were doing. He said he was repainting the disabled bays for the council’. I said ‘the council moved about ten years ago mate, I’m living there at the moment’.

“His boss came down with a work ticket. It said paint the disabled bays outside the council and was written by the council.”

Another added: “The officer in question who deals with these highway issues doesn’t know his job very well.”

A spokesman for Central Beds said there was due to be a review of on-street parking regulations, which Central Bedfordshire inherited from the former Mid Beds and South Beds district councils, in the summer, and said the review could see the bays removed.

He added: “By law we cannot just remove disabled parking spaces. There has to be a full public consultation first, and as part of the parking strategy we will be looking at whether the disabled bays in London Road are used by Blue Badge holders; if not, they are likely to be recommended for removal.

“Until that point they remain designated disabled bays so were repainted as part of a refresh of road markings in the area.”