disabled parking

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Parking for people with disabilities

Brighton & Hove City Council recognise that people with disabilities who live, work or visit the city may need to park close to their home or other locations.  Parking concessions are made available to Blue Badge holders.

How to display your Blue Badge 

When using the parking concessions you must display the badge on the dash board or facia panel, where it can be clearly read through the front windscreen. The front of the badge should face upwards showing the wheelchair symbol and the expiry date.

If there is no dashboard of facia on your vehicle, you must still display your badge in a place where it can be clearly read from outside the vehicle. If you do not display your Blue Badge you may receive a Penalty Charge Notice.

Parking concessions

Badge holders may park with a valid disabled badge displayed:

• and a clock displayed for up to three hours on a single or double yellow line (so long as no loading restrictions are in force)  The clock must be set to show the time of arrival.
• without time limit at a pay and display parking bay.
• in a designated disabled bay

 Badge holders must not park:

• where loading is prohibited
• wholly or partly on the footway
• at a suspended or out of order parking place 
• in permit holder only parking bays
• if the badge is not displayed so that it can been seen clearly then a penalty charge notice may be issued and in some cases the vehicle removed to the city car pound

A full list of disabled parking bays can be downloaded here: BHCC_Disabled_Bays.pdf (84.7kb)

Who can use your badge?

• the Blue Badge us for your use and benefit only. It must not be displayed unless you are travelling in the vehicle at the time.
• do not allow other people to use your badge to do something on your behalf such as shopping or collecting something for you, unless you are travelling with them.
• do not allow other people to use your badge to benefit from the concessions. You must never give your badge to friends or family to allow them to park for free without you, even if they are visiting you.
• use of a Blue Badge by a non-disabled person is a criminal offence under section 117 of the Road Traffic Act 1984, and carries a fine of up to £1000 in addition to any penalty charges incurred for associated parking offences. It is also an offence to use a Blue Badge on a vehicle if the badge has not been properly issued or is invalid or out of date.

Power to inspect your badge

Brighton & Hove City Council with Sussex Police run a joint operation called Operation Blue Bird which targets Blue Badge fraud.  Police Officers, Parking Attendants and Civil enforcement officers have the power to inspect your badge. If any of these people ask to see your badge you must show it to them. If you do not, you will be breaking the law and you could be fined up to £1,000.

Please read the Department for transports enforcement booklet for further information

If you have any information with regards to blue badge misuse then please contact the blue badge team on 01273 296270 by e-mailing parking@brighton-hove.gov.uk

More information

You can find further information about the Blue Badge Scheme and disabled parking at these websites:

• National Association of Blue Badge Holders
• Department of Transport: access for disabled people and blue badge scheme

For any other enquiries contact one of our parking information centres.