DISABLED parking bays, controversially removed as part of the Plaza 21 development, are finally being reinstated.

The six disabled, and six one-hour, parking bays on Sanford Street were removed to allow construction traffic to access the 71-home upmarket apartment complex being built on the road.

But three months after completion of the development, the bays had yet to be replaced leading to fears from local residents that they had been given to Plaza 21 residents.

Dave Maisey, 63, who lives on Sanford Street and works as a caretaker for Swindon Council, said: "I cannot recall that when planning permission was granted for Plaza 21 to be built that on-street parking would also be given over to Plaza 21 residents.

"Before the builders moved in we had disabled parking on one half of the street and one-hour restricted parking for shoppers on the other.

"We now have Plaza 21 residents parking there for three or four days at a time without moving and disabled motorists are unable to park anywhere.

"I've been here for more than 11 years and the parking spaces have always been there. They are well used because they are just around the corner from the shops.

"I see a lot of disabled people trying to park along here and they are flummoxed because all the spaces have gone."

The Advertiser raised Mr Maisey's concerns with Swindon Council. And within 24 hours workers were on site to reinstate the parking restrictions. A spokesman for Swindon Council said it had intended to reinstate the parking restrictions before the end of the month in any case.