A terminally ill Dundee woman claims she is a prisoner in her own home because she cannot get a disabled parking bay outside her house.
Heather McInnes, 61, who is also severely disabled, has a blue badge.
However, Dundee City Council has told her it cannot provide a dedicated on-street parking space outside her home because she does not have a car.
The former foster carer says her disabilities mean she is not able to walk more than a few steps with a walking frame.
This makes it impossible for her to get to a car unless it is parked directly outside her sheltered housing home on Strathmore Street.
‘There are never any spaces outside my home’
Heather said: “I moved to this house in February and I haven’t been able to get out since March.
“Although I have a disabled blue badge, I no longer own a car.
“Dundee City Council has told me that because of this, a disabled space cannot be provided outside my home.
“I desperately need a parking space outside my house to allow me to get out to a car.
“This street is always filled with cars, meaning there are rarely any spaces available outside that I could walk to.
“Only this morning my carer couldn’t even get in to help me get ready because she couldn’t get parked.
“As her time is limited, she ended up with no time to come to see me because she was trying to find somewhere to park and couldn’t.”
Heather spoke of one occasion last week when she took seriously ill during the evening.
An ambulance driver was unable to find anywhere on the road to park so had to park on the pavement to attend to her.
‘I sit here all the time and I need to get out even if it’s just for a coffee’
Heather says she completely lost the use of her left leg due to a car crash a few years ago.
She has also been diagnosed with scarring on her lungs after a bout of Covid in 2020.
She says doctors have told her she has emphysema and is terminally ill.
Heather said: “I sit here all the time and, even if someone comes to visit, if they can’t get parked right outside I can’t manage to get to their car.
“I try to stay cheerful but I really need to be able to get out, even if it’s just for a coffee – but that just hasn’t been possible due to the parking situation.”
A Dundee City Council spokesperson said: “The criteria states that a disabled parking bay can only be installed if the vehicle is registered at the same address as that of the blue badge holder.
“Anyone wishing to appeal a decision can contact our customer services team and ask for their application to be reviewed.”
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