Blue Badge Scheme

What is the Blue Badge Scheme?

The Blue Badge scheme provides a range of parking benefits for disabled people with severe walking difficulties who travel either  as drivers or as passengers.  The concessions only apply to on-street parking and include free use of parking meters and pay-and-display bays.

Badgeholders may also be  exempt from limits on parking times imposed on others and can park for up to three hours on yellow lines (except where there is a ban on loading or unloading or other restrictions).

The badges can be used throughout the UK and while travelling abroad within the European Union ( EU ) and in some other European countries. The Blue Badge scheme does not apply to off-street car parks, private roads or at most airports.

 

 

 

Do you qualify for a badge?

 You may qualify if you:

• are receiving the higher rate of the Mobility Component of the Disability Living Allowance
• are receiving a War Pensioner's Mobility Supplement
• use a motor vehicle supplied by a government health department
• are a registered blind person or severly sight impaired
• have severe disability in both upper limbs, drive a motor vehicle regularly but cannot operate or have considerable difficulty in operating all or some type of parking meter
• people who are over the age of 80 and have had a Blue Badge before
• People who are over the age of 90

 

Assessed elegibility with further assessment:

You may qualify for the Blue Badge scheme under the assessed eligibility category if you have permanent and substantial disability which means you are unable to walk or have very considerable difficulty in walking. In these cases, you need to download the application form.

Children under two years of age qualify for a badge if they have a condition that requires they must always be accompanied by bulky medical equipment and/or that have a highly unstable medical condition and need quick access to transport to hospital or home. Organiations caring for disabled people meeting one or more of the above criteria may be able to get a badge.

People with a psychological disorder will not normally qualify unless their impairment causes very considerable, and not intermittent, difficulty in walking.

Where to Apply

If you think you may be entitled to a badge you should apply to

Cheshire County Council
Po Box

Middlewich

Cheshire

CW7 9EJ

Telephone: 0845 1133311

You can download or compete an online application on the Cheshire County Council Website at Cheshire County Council Social Services Website (external link)

Where can I park?

The Directgov Website (external link) offers an interactive map of Chester to show you the locations of parking bays for disabled users.

There are two car parks dedicated to Blue Badge holders in Frodsham St (next to Shop Mobility) and Hamilton Place (next to Dial House). Maximum stay is 4 hours.

In addition Blue Badge holders may park free of charge for up to 4 hours in any of the City Council’s pay and display car parks, with the exception of Trinity St. If you wish to stay longer than 4 hours, please purchase a pay and display ticket for the additional time and display next to your badge and clock.

For further informaition,

please contact tel: 01244 402633 or e-mail: carparks@chester.gov.uk

Misuse of the scheme

It is an offence to park a vehicle which is not displaying a badge in a Blue Badge parking bay. If you spot misuse you should report it to a traffic warden (or parking enforcement officer), the local police or Cheshire County Council (who are responsible for issuing badges) or you can visit the Baywatch Campaign website (external link) for more information on how to help protect disabled parkers rights.

Further information

Details of your rights under the scheme, as well as some restrictions are contained in the DETR Blue Badge Scheme Advisory Leaflet 

Further information can be found on the Direct Gov's Blue Badge Parking Scheme webpages (external link)

Links

• Instructional letter about how to apply (external link)
• Blue Badge Application Form   (external link)