David Jackson has been a regular at the arena since it opened, but was surprised to learn that he now has to pay for Blue Badge parking
David Jackson at Coop Live at a Simply Red concert(Image: David Jackson)
A disabled man has criticised Co-op Live as “unfair” for implementing a £25 blue badge parking charge after it had been entirely free for him to park there for just over a year. David Jackson, who has been reliant on a wheelchair for the past seven years following a stroke that affected his right arm and leg movement 22 years ago, has been visiting the arena since its opening last May.
The 77-year-old praised the initial free blue badge parking system introduced by the arena as “wonderful”, as it enabled him to travel there and back safely without depending on public transport late into the night.
However, in July this year, new parking charges were implemented after the complimentary accessible parking offered during the venue’s opening season concluded. A disabled parking space now costs £25 – the same as standard parking. This means David now has to pay – and he argues it does not seem fair that blue badge holders can use the same car park for free for a Manchester City game but now have to pay if they are attending the music venue, reports the Manchester Evening News.
David said: “I love going to live music concerts. I was so excited when Co-op Live opened. What a great local venue for music! I’ve been to 12 concerts in the past year and it’s marvellous.
“I couldn’t get around before but now I’ve been able to go because my neighbour drives me there. Otherwise it would be very difficult to get there. The blue badge parking was wonderful. It meant we could get there and get home safely.”
David, from Macclesfield, and his neighbour Carole have frequented the venue approximately 15 times in the 18 months since its opening.
The duo have visited various other music venues around Manchester, many of which require paid parking – but they are left puzzled by Co-op Live’s policy change.
He said: “I am angry about the introduction of a charge for blue badge parking.
“It increases the cost of experiencing live music and the DLA (Disability Living Allowance) shouldn’t have to be used for parking costs.
“I’m really grateful that blue badge parking is free on [Man City] match days. It’s the same car park so why do Co-op live charge on other days?
“I see lots of people at Co-op Live on the wheelchair ramp and they must be affected too. It doesn’t seem fair when daily life is hard for all these customers.”
He added: “I want to thank the staff at Co-op Live who are always very friendly and helpful. The facilities are great for accessibility and once inside the venue it’s marvellous.”
Carole expressed her disappointment with the poor communication and accessibility, even suggesting that David felt discriminated against.
She said: “It used to come up as £25 for a normal parking space, but if you had a Blue Badge it was free. Now it’s £25 for both.
“David was horrified – it’s almost 50 per cent of the ticket price. He felt discriminated against. This was really the only way for him to get there, given his disability.
“There’s just no consistency – when Man City have control it’s free, when Co-op Live have control it’s not.
“Most people with Blue Badges are on Disability Living Allowance – so the money the Government gives them is going to private car parking people.
“It doesn’t seem right that the money the government gives people for disability support ends up going to private parking firms.”
Co-op Live stated that free accessible parking had been provided during its opening season as a goodwill gesture, matching the complimentary public transport offered.
The venue also confirmed that parking must be booked in advance online, with all charges clearly displayed when purchasing.