Apply for a disabled parking bay

What is an advisory disabled parking bay?

An advisory disabled parking bay is a white outlined parking space that can be positioned on the road outside, or close to, your home.These bays:

• Are not limited to a specific person’s use (including the applicant)
• Can be used by any road user
• Are advisory only, as they do not have a legally enforceable Traffic Regulation Order (TRO)

Because there is no TRO, if other vehicles park in the bay — with or without a Blue Badge — neither we nor the Police can take enforcement action.

Using your Blue Badge

When parking in the disabled bay, you must display your Blue Badge at all times. Although we cannot enforce vehicles parked in the bay without a valid Blue Badge, displaying your badge is part of the terms and conditions you agree to when applying.

We do inspect disabled bays and any infringement of the guidelines may result in the bay being removed.

Eligibility

You may be eligible for a disabled parking bay if you:

• Have a Blue Badge
• Are the driver of a vehicle
• Do not have any off‑street parking

In exceptional circumstances, bays may still be considered if these criteria are not met. A doctor’s letter confirming the need on medical grounds must be included with the application.

Fee

There is a non-refundable fee of £107.65.
This is only refunded if the bay is refused.

Refreshing faded bay markings

Our contractor, SWISCo, refreshes road markings on a cyclical basis.
Please note:

• Faded disabled bays are not classed as an urgent safety issue
• They will not be refreshed as a priority
• Lines are refreshed only as part of whole‑road remarking, not as a one‑off

Residents who wish to have their markings refreshed sooner may choose to pay £107.65 to do so.

To request this, please call 01803 207740 (option 1).

Parking bays are not provided to:

• Husbands, wives, parents, relatives or any other driver, even if they live at your address
• Solve driveway access problems (e.g. steepness)
• Act as ‘Keep Clear’ markings for visiting vehicles

Documents you need to provide

You must upload:

• A photo or screenshot of your Blue Badge (if applicable)
• Proof of your name and residency, which can be one of the following:
  • Your most recent council tax bill
  • Driving licence
  • Utility bill issued within the last 3 months
  • Bank statement issued within the last month
• A doctor’s letter (if required under eligibility criteria)

These documents must be uploaded with your application form.

Location considerations

Meeting eligibility criteria does not guarantee approval. We must also consider whether the location:

• Is near or on a junction or bend
• Is on a road where the width could compromise safety
• Has any existing parking restrictions

A parking bay cannot be approved:

• Where there are existing waiting restrictions
• Within any Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ)

If a new CPZ is introduced in future, the bay will be removed.

Faded markings

If there is an existing bay near you but the markings are faded, you can request our partner contractor TOR2 take a look to see if it requires remarking. SWISCo are available on 01803 701310 or you can report faded markings online.