PLEASE NOTE - As a result of the upcoming review, new applications for Individual Disabled Parking Bays will be suspended from September 1, 2023. All approved applications submitted to the scheme in 2022/23 will continue to be installed in line with the usual processes. Find out more
An individual disabled person's parking bay is a space alongside the kerb, indicated by a 'box' marked out with white lines painted on the road with an associated sign. The purpose of the parking bay is to help people whose mobility impairment mean they cannot walk any significant distance and therefore need help in parking close to their home.
Disabled Person's Parking Bay Eligibility
The Scheme is aimed at helping disabled drivers, with a severe mobility impairment, who are in receipt of a current Disabled Persons Blue Badge and who are often unable to park outside their home because of parking congestion (and currently have no suitable off road facilities or any possibility of creating them).
To be eligible, the parking bay applicant must meet the following criteria:
- Both the driver and the parking bay applicant (if not the driver) MUST live at the same address and the car is kept permanently at this address.
- The applicant MUST hold a current and valid Blue Badge (temporary Blue Badge holders are NOT eligible to apply).
- A parking bay can only be installed directly outside the property in question and will not be approved where there are traffic prohibitions, paved areas or other obstacles directly outside the home such as a junction.
- You must not have accessible off-road parking at your property (e.g. hardstanding, drive, garage etc)
Applications for a parking bay cannot be made on behalf of visitors, regardless of the circumstances of their case. In certain cases, disabled passengers may also qualify.
If the applicant already has a dropped kerb outside their house, they can still apply under the Scheme although if a Bay is recommended, then the kerb would be removed as it’s not possible to have both at the same property.
The Assessment Process
Once the scheme has closed you will be contacted to arrange a visit, where we will complete an assessment.
Following an assessment, the decision on whether to recommend the parking bay will then be made by a panel of relevant professionals and all applicants will be notified in writing of the decision. It is likely that the assessment period will take a number of months to complete
What if my application is unsuccessful?
If your application is unsuccessful there is no right to appeal. We will send you your assessment to read and you will have the opportunity to add in any further information you feel was relevant at the time of the assessment. We can only consider information relevant at that time so it is important that you read the completed assessment carefully and tell us everything we need to know about your circumstances at that time. It maybe that your assessment shows that you would qualify for a Parking Bay due to your disability but that to install one where you live is technically impossible. You will be informed of this so that you know, that unless the environment changes, you will not be able to have a Parking Bay at your property.