THE Leader of Harlow Council, Cllr Dan Swords, and Harlow’s MP, Robert Halfon, have today announced that a new council-backed Disability Taskforce will be established to drive forward townwide improvements and tackle persistent issues faced by disabled people in Harlow.

The announcement follows a Disability Charter that Mr Halfon presented to the Council last year calling on the council to take a number of specific actions. The Charter was supported by over 50 charities and groups across Harlow who represent and work with disabled people.

As a result, the council has taken robust action including: 

• Stronger enforcement of illegal parking in blue badge spaces which has seen over 550 parking fines issued.
• A full review of all council-owned car parks to improve signage, access and enforcement of blue badge parking.
• A proactive approach to tackling A-boards and flyposting to support disabled residents.
• A full audit of accessible toilets to ensure they are truly appropriate.

The new Taskforce will include cross-party councillors, Robert Halfon MP, representatives from charities and groups who work with disabled people and disabled residents with the first meeting set to take place in early October. The Leader of the Council has pledged to ensure the council “swiftly implements recommendations the Taskforce makes”.

Commenting on the announcement, Robert Halfon MP said: “I strongly welcome this announcement and the confirmation that this Taskforce will have real power to make change. As many residents know, I was born with a form of Cerebral Palsy and know first-hand many of the challenges with access for people with disabilities in Harlow.

“That’s why I took the Disability Charter to the Council last year, backed by over 50 local charities and disability groups and I welcome the action the council has taken to date, but now we must go further and ensure residents voices are truly heard and that we tackle these issues once and for all.”

Cllr Dan Swords, added: “Robert Halfon has led the charge to improve accessibility and tackle problems facing disabled residents with his Disability Charter. We have taken strong action to address some immediate problems but must go further to ensure long-standing challenges are tackled once and for all.

“This new Taskforce will include councillors from both parties and will have the full backing of the council and will be underway shortly. I know that councillors from both parties care deeply about these issues and that’s why we will be working together in this new Taskforce to deliver real change.”