If you or someone in your household has serious mobility problems, you may be able to apply for a disabled parking bay near your home.
A disabled parking bay makes it easier for Blue Badge holders to park close to their property if no off street parking, such as a driveway, is available.
About disabled parking bays
Disabled parking bays are marked with white lines and a traffic sign.
Anyone with a valid Blue Badge can use these bays, even if the bay is outside your house.
Before a bay can be installed, the council must go through a legal process which includes a public consultation and a traffic order.
Because of this, and due to limited funding, applications are reviewed once a year.
Before you apply
You can apply for a disabled parking bay if you meet all of the following conditions:
- You have a valid Blue Badge for at least 12 months
- You received your Blue Badge because of mobility issues (people who have a Blue Badge for hidden conditions should only be considered for a disabled parking bay if they also have a physical mobility problem).
- You have a taxed and insured vehicle registered at your address, and it is driven by someone who lives with you
- You do not have a driveway or off street parking space, and it is not possible to create one at your property
How we assess applications
When we assess your application, we will check:
-
Eligibility
You receive the higher rate of mobility through Disability Living Allowance or you receive Personal Independence Payment with a score of eight or more in the moving around category, or you have been assessed by Oldham Council’s Blue Badge team for mobility issues. -
Vehicle and household details
The vehicle is registered and kept at your home. It is driven by a member of your household. The main driver does not live elsewhere and is not the registered keeper of a vehicle kept at another address. -
Parking options
If you could create off street parking, for example a driveway, that option must be considered before a bay can be approved. A council traffic engineer will visit your property to check what is possible.
How we decide where bays go
If your application is approved, we will look for the most suitable place on the public road near your home.
Disabled parking bays are usually placed outside or as close as possible to your property, but we must also consider:
- Street layout and safety
- The number of existing bays in your area to make sure parking is fair for everyone
- Accessibility for all residents
Each bay is about 6.6 metres long. In areas with lots of terraced houses, several bays close together can reduce general parking space. To manage this, we use a density guideline to limit how many disabled bays can be on a single street.
Hidden disabilities and the Blue Badge scheme
Some people with non visible disabilities may also qualify for a Blue Badge.
These include conditions such as:
- Autism or Asperger’s syndrome
- Anxiety or complex mental health conditions
- Epilepsy
- Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis
- ME or chronic fatigue syndrome
- Lupus or rheumatoid arthritis
These are examples, not a full list.
You may qualify for a Blue Badge if you:
- Cannot make a journey without risk of serious harm to yourself or others
- Cannot make a journey without very serious psychological distress
- Have very considerable difficulty walking
People with hidden disabilities have the same right to use disabled bays as those with physical mobility issues. However, to qualify for a bay outside your home, you must also have mobility difficulties.
Important
Applications are only processed once a year. The annual deadline is 31 March.
If funding is available, assessments start in April and any approved bays are usually installed by the following April.
Apply
Before you start, make sure you meet the criteria above.
If you think you meet the criteria you can request an application form:
Request a disabled parking space application form
Contact
If you have any queries or questions please email: