Parking bays for Blue Badge holders

A number of Blue Badge holder parking bays already exist in or near to the Town Centre, Old Town High Street and other Neighbourhood Centres. These bays are either located on the street or within adjacent public car parks. These bays are available for use by any holder of a Blue Badge.

The Council is committed to reviewing the number of Blue Badge holder parking bays provided with the aim of ensuring that sufficient numbers of good quality spaces exist to meet current needs. In some locations, such as the Town Centre, limitiations and other demands on the roadspace available will limit the number and quality of spaces that can be created.

In addition, any Blue Badge holder can apply for a Blue Badge holders’ parking bay to be placed close to their home . However, it should be noted that if such an application is successful, any parking bay that is provided is available for use by any Blue Badge holder and is not necessarily for the sole use of the applicant.

Application forms and Guidance Notes are obtainable by making enquiries at the contact details given below.

In order for an application to be successful, the applicant must not only be a registered disabled person and a blue badge holder but must also satisfy certain other qualification criteria.

For example, an application must be supported by a medical statement signed by a doctor outlining the reaons for the disability and confirming that the applicant has serious difficulities with walking further than a limited distance. Furthermore, the applicant must have regular and frequent use of a car which is kept at the applicant’s address.

If the driver of the car being used by the Blue Badge holder has access to a private or dedicated parking facility at or in close proximity to the applicant’s address, then the application is likely to be refused.

In assessing an application the Council will also take the following into consideration:

• traffic flow
• access to premises
• and road safety

The Council will formally consult with and take into consideration any comments received from the Police, Social Services and the Highway Authority before approving any application.

A parking place that is approved will be sited as near as possible to the applicant’s address.

Most existing Blue Badge Holder parking spaces in the town are enforceable by parking attendants because they are (legally) covered by a Traffic Regulation Order.

The making of a Traffic Regulation Order for any new spaces created is a very lengthy process requiring formal consultation with local people and statutory bodies. The Council’s policy is to make a Traffic Regulation Order for any newly created spaces in or near to the Town Centre, Old Town High Street, other Neighbourhood Centres or adjacent to public buildings so that they are enforceable but this process can take several months to complete.

The Council has adopted a different policy in respect of any newly created spaces in residential areas which does not involve going through the legal process. Instead, the Council undertakes a reduced level of consultation and marks out a parking space, which is advisory only. On that basis the marking that is put down in response to a request from a blue badge holder is advisory only and cannot be enforced by parking attendants. However, this policy is under constant review and if it is found that the level of abuse of these advisory bays becomes unacceptable, the Council will consider bringing in Traffic Regulation Orders to enable them to be controlled through enforcement.

The Council will make every effort to deal with applications as quickly as possible. However, if an application for a Blue Badge Holder parking space in a residential area satisifies the assessment criteria it will be added to the list of approved applications until such time as a batch exceeding 10 is reached. The Council will then arrange for a roadmarking contractor to carry out the work. This could involve a delay of a few months before a parking bay is marked out on the street.

Engineering Service Unit
Stevenage Borough Council
Daneshill House
Danestrete
Stevenage
Herts
SG1 1HN

Telephone: 01438 242295
email: engineers@stevenage.gov.uk 

Or complete the online form