Apply for a disabled parking bay

Find out how to apply for a disabled parking bay if you're a blue badge holder and only have access to on street parking.

If you've been awarded a blue badge and are unable to safely and independently access your existing parking facilities, you can apply for an assessment for a disabled parking bay.

Contact the Initial Contact team to request an assessment.

You can also request a disabled parking bay by filling out a Disabled Parking Bay application form.

Download a Disabled Person's Parking Bay application form (PDF, 93 KB).

Eligibility criteria

The criteria used for assessing applications are as follows:

  • The applicant should be a severely disabled person
  • The applicant must be in possession of a current Blue Badge
  • The applicant must be the driver* of the vehicle, which should be registered at the address where the bay is to be marked
  • A difficulty in parking must be identified, which would be resolved by a disabled parking bay
  • It's not possible to park the car off the road, adjacent to the house in a driveway or other grounds
  • The disabled bay must not compromise safe and efficient traffic management in the area

*In exceptional circumstances, the following 2 additional criteria may also be taken into account:

  1. The applicant is a passenger (with a blue badge) who cannot be left unattended either inside or outside the home while the driver parks the car
  2. The applicant is a passenger (with a blue badge) and it's not possible for a vehicle to stop safely to pick up or set down the applicant unless a bay is provided

The following situations outline where a disabled parking bay is unlikely to be permitted:

  • Households without a car
  • Roads having a no-waiting order
  • Where the bay requested would be on a busy main road, close to a junction or within a turning area
  • Where the applicant is the holder of a discretionary Blue Badge that's close to its expiry date and may not be renewed

What's the process?

Once you phone or submit you application form for a disabled parking bay we'll determine the Health and Social Care Partnership ( HSCP) cluster that supports your area.

We'll then take details of your eligibility and place you on a waiting list for an Occupational Therapist to review your application.

Once your application is reviewed, we'll decide whether to proceed or not. We'll call you if they require any further detail or to book an appointment for the assessment at your home.

If it's agreed that you're entitled to a disabled parking bay, our Roads team will need to visit the location to determine if the location can physically accommodate a disabled parking bay and report back with their findings. 

If a bay is agreed the works will be scheduled in.

It can take around 2 months to install your disabled parking bay from the date of your application.

Last modified on 2 November 2021