Derbyshire man says he will no longer visit Chatsworth because of disabled parking charge

Chatsworth House reopened to the public on May 18 following the last lockdown – and the man said he had recently learned parking was no longer free for disabled people.

MORE: Chesterfield residents thanked for helping Afghan refugees

The man, who does not want to be named, said: “The free disabled parking at Chatsworth was in force for many years but it seems they are now not making enough money and feel they can fleece a small minority of disadvantaged people out of a fiver.

“I have been informed that disabled spaces will remain but a parking charge of £5 is now in force.

“This is an act of penny pinching.”

He added that he was now an ‘ex-Chatsworth House visitor’.

In response, a spokesperson for Chatsworth said: “Due to the limited availability of parking at Chatsworth, Blue Badge holders pay the same as other motorists in our car park to park all day (9am to 6pm). This has been the case since 2019.

“The parking charges are in line with Derbyshire Dales District Council pricing. All tickets booked in advance to visit Chatsworth include parking free of charge.

“Blue Badge holders are allocated a dedicated parking area, located as close as possible to the attraction entrances. Accessibility is of the utmost importance at Chatsworth, and details of the measures we have in place can be found on our website.”

For further information, visit www.chatsworth.org/your-visit/accessibility

MORE: Man arrested over theft of Chesterfield Springer Spaniel Lucky – stolen seven month ago

Support your Derbyshire Times by becoming a digital subscriber. You will see 70 per cent fewer ads on stories, meaning faster load times and an overall enhanced user experience. Visit www.derbyshiretimes.co.uk/subscriptions