Disabled parking bays
February 2025 - Update
Applications will open 3 March 2025
With immediate effect we will be installing Non-personalised Residential Disabled Parking Bays (RDPBs) only. This means that an RDPB:
- cannot be reserved exclusively for the applicant
- can be used by any valid Blue Badge holder
Where we have already received expressions of interest, residents will now be contacted to complete the formal application form. Free applications will be progressed in batches of 25, twice a year. Applications will be paused when we reach capacity for each batch.
If you would like to register your interest for a free RDPB, please complete the online form, and you will automatically be added to the waiting list for future batches.
Please note, there are approximately 60 submitted Expression of Interest forms as of February 2025.
If you do not want to wait to be included in one of the free batch processes
You can apply outside of the batching schedule. To do this, you will be required to meet the full cost for the RDPB to be installed. These costs include:
- an individual Traffic Regulation Order (TRO), and
- the marking and signing of a bay
This is a legal process and takes a minimum of 3 to 6 months to put in place.
The current fees and charges for an RDPB can be found on our fees and charges document. These fees are subject to review.
To apply for an RDPB outside of the free batching process, please email HighwaysQueries@southend.gov.uk for an application form.
Requesting for a disabled bay near your home to be removed
Reducing parking pressures across the city is at the forefront of this process. Therefore, any disabled bays throughout the city will be removed if they prove to no longer be in use by a Blue Badge holder.
Please email council@southend.gov.uk to make a request, providing details about the location of the bay and why you believe it is no longer required.
We will send a letter to the address associated with the Disabled Bay to confirm if the bay is still in use. Should we not receive the documents needed, a further letter will be sent regarding a date for the removal of the Bay.
Requesting for a disabled bay near your home to be relined
To make sure the Disabled Bay is in use by a Blue Badge Holder, we will send a letter to the address associated with the bay to confirm if the bay is still in use.
Please email council@southend.gov.uk to make a request. You will need to provide details about the location of the bay and photographs of the faded bay if possible. A Highways officer will attend to decide if the bay needs relining.
Applying for a disabled bay near your home
The current set criteria that must be met is:
- applicant must be registered disabled
- applicant must be in receipt of the higher rate component of the Disability Living Allowance or the higher level of Personal Independence Payment (PIP); or
- applicant must be in receipt of the higher rate of Attendance Allowance
- applicant must be a Blue Badge holder
Approval cannot be granted where:
- the applicant residence has an existing off-street parking, or the ability to create one
- there is an existing waiting restriction at the location whereby it cannot be removed for traffic or safety reasons
- the proposed location is within 10 metres of a junction
Types of disabled parking bays
Blue Badge holder only bays
These are parking bays with DISABLED marked in letters on the floor and are accompanied by the disabled bay sign plates which are available both on-street and in some of our Council car parks. These are enforceable and should only be used by Blue Badge holders. A valid Blue Badge must be clearly displayed in the vehicle. If there is no visible Blue Badge, you are at risk of receiving a penalty charge notice (PCN).
Please be aware that some bays may have a time limit and the clock must also be on display along with a valid Blue Badge. The sign plates next to the bay will tell you if there is a time limit.
Disabled bays near your home
Blue Badge holders may be eligible to apply for a disabled bay near their home. This will be an enforceable bay and can only be used by Blue Badge holders. It is not exclusively for the applicants use.
Advisory marked bays
Bays not accompanied by a sign plate are an advisory marked bay only. This means no parking enforcement can be carried out if a non-blue badge holder uses it.