Disabled parking bays

Disabled parking bays are marked areas on the road that provide on-street parking for blue badge holders. We install them in residential streets to help blue badge holders park close to their homes.

The bays are advisory markings only and so no enforcement can take place if people park there without a blue badge. However most motorists appreciate the purpose of the bays and leave them clear for the people who need them.

The bays are larger than the average vehicle to allow any blue badge holder to use them. The long length of the bay allows for access to the rear part of a vehicle.

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Apply for a disabled parking bay

There is no charge for installing disabled parking bays.

First check that you meet the criteria:

  • You are a blue badge holder.
  • You do not have any usable off-street parking such as a driveway or garage.
  • There is a vehicle registered and kept at your address.
  • You do not live in a private road (as we can only install bays on the public highway).
  • It is also important that there are no existing parking controls (such as yellow lines or parking bays) where you want the bay to be. You can still apply for a bay if this is the case, but the process will need to be different and likely to take much longer. Please see the how long will it take section below for more information.

If your road already has a disabled parking bay, you can still apply and we will check if there is a suitable location in the road for another bay.

Please note that as part of the application, we will ask you to send us a copy of both the front and back of the blue badge and a copy of the vehicle registration document (V5C), or proof of a Motability vehicle, clearly showing the address. Once we have received your application, we will carry out a site visit to see if there is a suitable location for the bay.

Apply for a disabled parking bay

If you are unable to complete the online form, please contact us and we will send you a paper version, which you can complete and return by post. We will still need you to send us copies of the appropriate documents, when you return the form.

Repainting disabled parking bays

If your disabled bay needs to be repainted, you will need to follow the same process as if you were applying for a new bay and fill in the online application form above, and supply copies of the required documents. In this way we can ensure that the criteria are still met for all the bays we have installed.

How long will it take?

We do not order the installation of new bays or repainting of existing bays individually but batch them together in larger orders approximately every three months. Our aim is to place an order with our contractor for the installation or repainting of bays within no longer than four months of approving an application. The contractor then has to programme the order in to their work schedule and actually carry out the work, so the whole process between application and installation can take up to six months.

If we receive an application for a bay to be provided within an area where formal parking controls already exist (such as yellow lines or parking bays) we will process the request through our parking review process. This is because we will need to amend the traffic regulation orders for that area. This process could take up to 18 months. If you are not sure, you can check to see if there are formal parking controls where you want the bay by using our interactive maps of parking restrictions.

Removing unused disabled parking bays

If there is a disabled bay that is no longer required (for example because the disabled resident has moved) then please use our online reporting form:

Report a disabled parking bay no longer used

You will need to tell us precisely where the disabled bay is and why it is no longer required.

We will confirm that this information is accurate and send a letter to nearby residents to find out if any of them require the bay. If the bay isn't needed, we will arrange to remove the markings.

When will the bay be removed?

This will depend on whether the disabled bay is 'advisory' or 'mandatory'.

As mentioned above, advisory bays have no legal standing (it's inconsiderate, but not illegal, to park there without a blue badge), and the markings are usually removed within 6 months.

Mandatory bays are legally enforceable (meaning it's illegal to park without a blue badge). Their removal, as well as installation, requires changes to the traffic regulation orders (legal documents that make the bays enforceable) and we make changes to them as part of a parking review. As this is a lengthy process, mandatory bays may take much longer to remove.

You can find out if a disabled bay is mandatory or not by seeing if it appears on our separate parking restrictions map.

Enforceable disabled parking bays

As mentioned above, most disabled parking bays do not have any legal standing and we cannot take action if people park in them without a blue badge.

Some disabled parking bays are enforceable. These have a have a sign next to them with the words 'disabled badge holders only' and are usually in shopping areas or in streets where there are other parking controls. Anyone parked in an enforceable bay and not displaying a valid blue badge may receive a penalty charge notice.

Bays can only be made enforceable as part of a parking review for the area.

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