Disabled residents with restricted or severe mobility issues will be able to secure designated parking bays outside their homes following a decision by Haringey Council’s Cabinet on Tuesday night.
There are currently 2,800 disabled parking bays across the borough, but local users of the Blue Badge scheme are increasingly finding that the bay installed for their use is being parked in by other badge holders from across the capital and beyond. This is particularly problematic in high-demand areas such as places of specific interest or popular retail shops.
The new arrangement will allow our disabled residents to request that a Designated Disabled Parking Bay be installed either outside, or near, their home or workplace in Haringey for the sole use of that specific applicant. The service will start in January 2020.
Cllr Seema Chandwani, Haringey Council’s Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, said:
I would like to thank all of the disabled residents who have helped shape and develop this new policy – I know these changes to how we manage disabled parking in Haringey will make a real difference to their lives.
Disabled residents wishing to convert their existing bay into a designated bay would need to ‘Opt In’ and resubmit an application.
As part of these service reforms, it is also proposed that the eligibility criteria be changed to meet the needs of a greater number of disabled people.
Last month, the Department for Transport extended the Blue Badge Scheme to those with ‘hidden disabilities’ such as autism, dementia and Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD).
An applicant should therefore now consider applying if:
- They are the owner, or nominated driver, of the vehicle registered to the applicant’s home address.
- No parking is available within a reasonable distance to their home or workplace.
- They are a Blue Badge holder.
- They meet the Disabled Blue Badge Entitlement without further assessment criteria as set out by the DfT.
- They do not meet the criteria set out by the DfT, but they are unable to walk more than 20 metres* (*as determined by a mobility or medical assessment or supporting evidence from an associated/certified expert assessor).
That last stipulation has been included to offer the opportunity of further assessment by an independent, expert assessor to address the situation whereby residents with severe disabilities:
- May not be in receipt of disability benefits, or
- Choose not to apply for, or may not be awarded, the required component of the disability benefit.
The new application process and eligibility criteria will, like the designated bays, start in January 2020.
The council will also continue to implement other disabled bays in town centres and in other areas for all Blue Badge holders to use.
Blue Badge holders can park for up to three hours on yellow lines or for unlimited periods in disabled parking bays.
They can also park for unlimited periods of time in all Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) permit, shared use and cashless (formerly known as ‘Pay & Display’) parking bays completely free of charge in Haringey. For further information, see the Blue Badge page on the Haringey Council website
