Dorset Council wants to hear from resident Blue Badge holders to help shape a unified approach to parking charges across the council area.
Following consultation with all drivers earlier this year on car park parking charges and a proposed new car park permit scheme for residents, businesses and workers, Blue Badge holders are now being asked for their views on the way forward for Blue Badge parking charges in Dorset Council owned car parks.
This will not affect the eligibility criteria for the Blue Badge scheme, or the entitlement of Blue Badge Holders as set out by central Government.
At the moment, the car park offer to Blue Badge holders is different depending on where you live or park within the Dorset Council area and, through consultation with Blue Badge holders, the council wants to provide one scheme that is easy to understand and consistent.
Cllr Ray Bryan, Portfolio Holder for Highways, Transport and Environment, said:
“We have around 25,000 residents who hold Blue Badges, which are a lifeline for people with mobility issues – enabling easier access to local shops and community facilities.
“As part of our parking transformation project, we want to introduce an offer for Blue Badge holders that is consistent, fair and meets users’ needs.
“If you hold a Blue Badge or are a carer for someone who has one, please take the time to participate in the consultation as this will be used to inform our future approach of how holders are charged in our council-run car parks.”
The Blue Badge Holders Parking Survey is now available, with responses to be received by Sunday 26 September.
Residents are being asked for their views on a number of options including:
- free parking for higher exemption Blue Badge holders
- one extra hour’s free parking for Blue Badge holders when purchasing a Pay and Display ticket
- free parking for up to three hours for all Blue Badge holders
The survey also seeks to identify and understand the issues of most importance to Blue Badge holders when using a council-owned car park, such as the size of the bays, the availability of disabled parking bays, the location of spaces in relation to local facilities and accessibility of Pay and Display machines.
Current Blue Badge holder car parking charges vary depending on previous district and borough council-run offers, currently:
- Blue Badge holders in east Dorset can apply for a Disabled Parking Exemption Permit if certain qualifying criteria is met. Alternatively, standard pay and display parking charges apply.
- In west Dorset, Blue Badge holders who receive certain allowances can apply for a free parking permit which will allow three hours free parking in any car parking bay. Alternatively, standard pay and display parking charges apply, but one extra hour’s free parking is given on top of the tariff paid when displaying a Blue Badge.
- In the Purbeck area, Blue Badge holders can park for free for up to three hours with the display of their badge and correctly set clock. However, standard pay and display parking charges apply in Corfe Castle and at Purbeck Park.
- Standard pay and display parking charges currently apply to Blue Badge holders in north Dorset and in Weymouth and Portland, but one extra hour’s free parking is given on top of the tariff paid when displaying a Blue Badge.
The consultation is available online. Anyone requiring a paper version of the survey can request one by emailing the Parking team.
Why are 2 Disabled parking bays used by Market Traders only, on Wednesdays and Saturdays all day on South Street, Bridport.
The Market Traders use the Disabled spaces to set up their stalls to sell their goods !!
Blue Badge drivers seem to be penalised by Dorset Council it use to be 3 hours parking for free, giving families the opportunity to enjoy time together, sadly not everyone can apply for benefits with rising cost in carparks isolation and loneliness has an impact on mental Heath
What about Blue Badge Holders who are not online? Can they obtain a printed copy via the post?
Anyone requiring a paper version of the survey can request one by emailing the Parking team (parking@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk) or by calling 01305 838236.
We live near Shaftesbury and my mother is 90 yrs old and can not walk at all , so is in a wheelchair.
As the pavements are so narrow and accessible is so limited I need to park as close as I can to the bank or the chemist.
I don’t want to pay for a parking space especially as it is so far away from the amenities I need . The disabled parking is very limited with very few available at the top end of Shaftesbury, at the bottom near the Post Office there are more , but then I have to push my Mother up hill to get her to the places she wants to go .
I don’t think carers of loved ones should pay for parking as they are spending money in the town and keeping the disabled person
active and in the community.
I’m afraid to say but the blue badge really doesn’t help at all,I’m constantly checking to see if I have to pay and how long I’ve got
Basically it should be free everywhere,our older generation have put in so much and now we have to pay just to go the chemist to get the drugs to keep them going .
It doesn’t make sense !??
If they are not online then they cannot email or come to that will not even know that a survey is being conducted.
Please send me a paper copy of the Blue Badge Holders’ Parking Survey
Hi, please email parking@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk to request a paper copy of the survey
Free parking for up to three hours in all car parks
All blue badge holders aren’t likely going to stop all day in a car park due to their disability and should not have to pay to park Weymouth is not a good place to park anyway as it is too far for disabled people they should make the small car park by wilko disabled parking only
I am a disabled driver. The most annoying thing for me is seeing perfectly abled young people put up a disabled badge that is obviously not theirs
and run into the shops whilst I struggle to keep up with them. One I challenged claimed he was disabled because he was abused as a child!
The photo of the disabled person should be visible on the from of the blue badge
What is the point of having a blue badge and having to walk or with a wheelchair a long way from your car to buy a ticket from a machine that sometimes doesn’t work ?
HI WE ARE 2 BLUE BADGE HOLDERS IN OUR HOUSEHOLD AND ARE KEEN TO KNOW WHY WHEN WE VISIT HAMPSHIRE JUST DOWN THE ROAD THAT PARKING IS FREE IN CAR PARKS FOR BADGE HOLDERS WHERE IN DORSET WE HAVE TO PAY.SOMETHING WRONG SOMEWHERE,INC THE HOSPITALS THANKS JOHN.PFLANG DORSET
Request free parking for blue badge holders,as is available already in car parks in Milford-on-Sea.I am also concerned at the blatant misuse by car owners who are not at all disabled or carrying passengers who qualify for a blue badge.
I find that there is a great deal of disparity to the holders of blue badges ! As you have already highlighted in your brief there are about 3 to 4 different criteria for disabled parking especially in Dorset, and it’s extremely confusing to us. Another example is that on nearly all pavement paying machines and some car park machines there is NO notice about disabled car parking using the blue badge and again this is very confusing to us . Is is asking too much to put a sticker on these machines so that we know where we stand !!!
I for one would like to see 3 Hrs “free” parking in all Council run car parks and the proper required wide markings for us who use wheelchairs. At present if we are forced to pay for parking I regard this as “Disabled Discrimination” especially as many other Council Autorities have the free parking for 3 Hrs , it is forcing us to park on double yellow lines to be able to get to the shops etc.
One complaint I do have is that you used to have about 10 disabled parking bays behind the Poole bus station but there has been scaffolding erected on the adjacent building for over 15 months now and NO WORK going on and barriers have been erected so that those spaces cannot be used. So the only other disabled parking bays available are the 4 under the arches of the same road andif yo can get there by 8 to 9 am you might just be able to get one to park in. Otherwise it’s a hefty charge in the car parks adjacent to the bus station and nothing free there !! I have stopped going to shop in Poole now as cannot get parked with the blue badge anywhere near the shops without having to pay these hefty charges, so effectively your Council is forcing shoppers away and hence the shops are loosing monies – is it no wonder the shops are closing and Poole is dying on its feet !!!
So come on Poole Council , either provide some free disabled parking near the shops and get those 10 spaces reinstated ASAP or you will force even more disabled people away from the area.
Perhaps you should try getting to the shops in Poole in a wheelchair to see just how difficult it is !!!
We would kindly recommend contacting BCP Council Derek, as they are responsible for parking services in Poole – James