Disabled parking bays

If you're a disabled driver with substantial mobility issues and need to park as close to your property as possible, you can apply for a disabled parking bay to be marked on the road. This is a white bay marking on a public road with the word ‘disabled’ marked alongside it.

Disabled parking bays can be provided on a public road for residents who have no off-street parking. A disabled parking bay lets you park close to your home, but it is not limited to your use.

Before you start

To complete the application form, you will need to have the following information available to upload:

valid Blue Badge (both sides, including badge number and photograph)
vehicle Registration Document (V5) or Motability Hire Agreement
certificate of Motor Insurance
valid UK driving licence
proof of entitlement to a qualifying benefit

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Additional information

The highway conditions will be taken into consideration and a disabled parking bay will not be provided in locations that may compromise public safety, such as:

on a bend
on the brow of a hill
close to a junction
within a turning head
where a road is too narrow
where parking is prohibited (e.g. on yellow lines or zig-zag lines)

There are also restrictions on the number of disabled parking bays in one street.

Application notes

Please read these notes before you fill in the application form, as they provide essential information about the system.

Kent County Council, as the traffic authority, has the power to designate part of the highway as an on-street parking place and control the type of vehicle and the terms and conditions of its use under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, Sections 32 and 35. Therefore, Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, acting on behalf of Kent County Council, can provide special parking bays on streets for disabled people who have substantial difficulties in walking and parking near their property.
The applicant is normally the driver of the vehicle needing a space, but exceptions are permitted (please explain in your application)
Applicants should have a current and valid blue badge and receive higher rate Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or the enhanced rate of the mobility component for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or a similar alternative benefit along with proof of vehicle registration documents.
Before granting a bay, we make some checks:
1. That the applicant must have a current and valid blue badge and should receive the higher rate of mobility component of the Disability Living Allowance, the enhanced rate of the mobility component for personal independence payment (PIP) or an equivalent benefit.
2. That the highway conditions will be assessed by an Engineer to establish whether a bay can be technically provided (issues such as safety, width of carriageway, number of vehicles using or parking in the road, proximity to a junction, the number of other disabled parking bays in the vicinity and the availability of off-street parking will be considered.)
3. We will consult with residents living within a 50m radius of the applicant’s property together with the emergency services, ward members, and Town and Parish Council (if applicable)
Please note that the applicant does not have exclusive rights to use a bay. The bay will be located on the highway, which is a public resource; any Blue Badge holder may use the bay if they need to.
A Disabled Persons Parking Bay will, from the outset or from a point after installation, become part of an amendment to the Traffic Regulation Order. This Order is the legal document that allows for enforcement should a vehicle park in the bay without displaying a disabled badge park or where the vehicle parked in the bay is not being used to transport a blue badge holder.
Bays on the highway are not permanent. We regularly audit and assess each bay, to ensure all qualifying criteria remain fulfilled. Where there are no longer any qualifying applicants a bay may be removed.
If any circumstances change at any time, you must notify us at ParkingRestrictions@tunbridgewells.gov.uk
Please explain any exception to the above criteria in writing, to accompany this application.