SOUTH West Surrey Disabled Alliance Network has called for new ramps installed in all Waverley Borough Council car parks to be “urgently” referred to the Health and Safety Executive.

It comes after a mobility scooter user nearly toppled over when scaling a “dangerously steep” ramp for disabled motorists at Haslemere High Street car park.

Waverley introduced charges for Blue Badge holders in its car parks from October 23, in the face of 700 objections - but vowed to improve access to ticket machines as a compromise.

As there are no direct Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) guidelines for parking machines, Waverley has used the general DDA guidelines to design the ramps.

However, according to Jill Sandham, whose husband Hugh Dawes is a wheelchair user, the incline of the new ramps “is too great” and caused her husband’s mobility scooter to tip backwards.

“Fortunately I and another member of the public rushed to catch the scooter.,” she said. “Had we not been there, it would have tipped backwards and he would have fallen on his head with the scooter on top of him.

“We consider that these ramps are not just unfit for purpose, but also pose a major risk for anyone using them.”

Responding, a Waverley spokesman said: “We are sorry that Mr Dawes had difficulties when using the ramp. We are taking his complaint very seriously and met him and his wife on site on Monday, October 30.

“An error was made during the construction of the ramp and we have instructed our contractors to rectify the problem.

“Until the work is completed Blue Badge holders will not be penalised for not displaying a valid parking ticket but may receive a friendly warning notice.”

WBC agreed to remove the three-hours free parking provision for disabled drivers in April, but postponed enforcement of the fees, pending a review, after a public outcry there had been no prior consultation.

Campaigners for the disabled expressed concern about the accessibility of ticket machines in the borough, and WBC subsequently agreed a number of concessions before agreeing to the new charges in September.

The concessions were that a free WBC parking permit will be available for people on a greater number of benefits, all Blue Badge holders will get a free second hour of parking, new drop curbs or ramps will be installed up to ticket machines nearest to disabled bays, more signage for the pay-by-phone service will be displayed closer to disabled bays.

David Beaman, South West Surrey Disabled Alliance Network chairman and a Farnham councillor, said: “The installation of these ramps has caused us considerable concern and indeed was one of our main issues in our campaign against the introduction of parking charges.

“In order to access the payment machine wheelchair users have to stop on the ramp, apply their brakes and then reach out of their wheelchairs in order to access the required buttons on the payment machine.

“Although the ramps may well conform to current legislative requirements, we remain very concerned that in the event of brakes not firmly applied wheelchairs could roll back into the path of traffic using the car park or, on reaching out to press the buttons on the payment machine, users could easily lose their balance causing them fall out of their wheelchair.”