Councils must provide enough blue badge spaces

Disability charity Scope has said warned that councils must make sure there are enough disabled parking spaces to cope with the extra demand a blue badge scheme expansion will bring.

The Department for Transport has changed the law so that people with hidden disabilities, including anxiety disorders or a brain injury, can apply for a Blue Badge. The government has issued new guidance to councils in England on Blue Badge parking permit eligibility, along with a new online eligibility checker to make the scheme clearer for people before they apply.

However, Scope, who welcomed the move, has said that if spaces are scarce, the badges ‘are not worth the paper they're printed on’.

Approximately 2.35 million people with physical disabilities in England currently have a blue badge, allowing them to park in spaces which might be restricted to other drivers, such as parking on yellow lines for up to three hours, for free in pay and display bays, or in spaces designated as ‘disabled’.

Ceri Smith, policy and campaigns manager at Scope, said: "Today's change should make a real difference for many disabled people with invisible impairments and conditions who have been shut out of the blue badge scheme to date.

"But in order for it to work, it's vital that councils issue blue badges to people who are newly eligible to apply. More also needs to be done by councils to ensure that there are enough allocated blue badge spaces near shops and amenities to meet increasing demand."

Announcing the move, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “We know that for some people, the possibility of not being able to find a parking space can make even leaving the house a challenge, which is why the Blue Badge is so important. The scheme, which is already a lifeline for so many disabled people, will make a huge difference to those with non-visible conditions such as autism, dementia, Parkinson’s and arthritis. It is my sincere wish that these changes will improve even more people’s lives.”