Parking

• Online  - you will need your PCN number, vehicle registration and debit/credit card details.
• Phone - call 0345 600 6400 - Monday to Friday, 8.30am-6pm - and have your PCN number, vehicle registration and debit/credit card details handy.
• In person – at one of our customer information centres using a debit/credit card, cash or cheque.
• By post – send your remittance slip and a cheque made payable to 'Northumberland County Council' to Parking Services, Northumberland County Council, County Hall, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 2EF.

You have 28 days to pay, and your fine will be reduced by 50% if you pay inside 14 days. If you’re considering appealing.

You can view the photographic evidence which shows why you have received a PCN here . 

Stage one – notice to owner
We’ll send you a ‘notice to owner’ to ensure the penalty charge notice was received and to remind you it is now due to be paid in full. It also gives you the opportunity to formally challenge your PCN.

Stage two – charge certificate
If you don’t pay within 28 days of the notice to owner, we’ll send a charge certificate confirming the fine has increased by 50%.

Stage three - order for recovery
If payment is outstanding 14 days after the charge certificate is served, an ‘order for recovery’ will be sent and we pass your debt to an enforcement agent, sometimes known as a bailiff. At this stage you can no longer speak directly to the council about the penalty charge notice. You must deal directly with your debt enforcement agent.

• If you need any general help and advice about debt, please click here. 

Informal representation
An ‘informal representation’ – is what we call a challenge made any time up to receiving a ‘notice to owner’.

• Challenge online here
• Email parkingservices@northumberland.gov.uk
• Post - complete the informal representation form or send a letter explaining why you’re challenging to Parking Services, Northumberland County Council, County Hall, Morpeth, NE61 2EF.

We carefully consider all evidence and write to you with the outcome, explaining our decision. The penalty charge notice will be frozen from the day we receive your challenge until we reply. If you challenged within the 14 days, we’ll offer a further 14 days to pay the charge at the reduced rate.

If your informal representation is rejected and you want to challenge it further, you need to wait until you receive a ‘notice to owner’ and make a ‘formal representation’.

Formal representation
A formal representation form is included with your notice to owner. Complete the form, quoting your penalty charge notice number on all correspondence, and:

• email parkingservices@northumberland.gov.uk
• post to Parking Services, Northumberland County Council, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 2EF

After you have made a formal representation you will receive either:

• notice of acceptance – explaining that your PCN has been cancelled
• notice of rejection – explaining that you need to pay the PCN at the full rate or make an appeal to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal

If you don’t pay the penalty charge or appeal to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal before the end of the period outlined on the notice, we’ll send a charge certificate confirming that the fee has increased by 50%. You can’t appeal any further at this stage.

If you’re appealing because you have a valid permit, blue badge or pay and display ticket, include a photocopy with your appeal. Here are some other reasons that may give you grounds for an appeal:

• You can prove the alleged offence didn’t occur.
• You have never owned the vehicle in question.
• You were not the owner of the vehicle on the date the offence occurred. If you bought or sold the vehicle, you must give the new or former owner’s name and address if you have it. Also provide the date of the transaction and any other details, and include any documents such as an invoice or bill of sale.
• The offence occurred while your vehicle was being used by someone else without your consent. Provide any supporting material you may have e.g. crime reference or insurance claim reference.
• The order was invalid as the council did not comply with the statutory requirements when making the order. Please explain why you believe the order in question is invalid.
• The vehicle is owned by a vehicle-hire firm and the vehicle was on hire to someone under a formal hiring agreement. Supply a copy of the hire agreement clearly showing the name and address of the person hiring the vehicle. This agreement must contain a statement of liability signed by the hirer and acknowledging the hirer's liability for the payment of penalty charges.
• The penalty charge exceeded the amount applicable in the circumstances of the case.
• There has been a procedural impropriety on the part of the council.
• The penalty charge notice has already been paid in full or has been paid at the reduced amount within the 14-day early payment period. 

Why did I receive a PCN?
PCNs are issued when we believe you haven't followed the parking rules. When you use any on or off-street parking place, you accept the terms and conditions of use. There are notices on the pay and display machines and conditions of use boards explaining these terms.

• View all of the current traffic regulation orders for waiting, loading and parking here.

Do you give people a grace period when they park?
Some of the parking offences we enforce have observation and grace periods before we issue a fine, but offences that cause danger to others are instantly issued with a fine.

• View the full list of parking offences and observation periods (grace period) here.

How much do I have to pay?
The cost varies depending on the seriousness of the offence:

• high - £70 e.g. parking on double yellow lines

• low - £50 e.g. not displaying a pay and display ticket

Both fines will be reduced by 50% if paid within 14 days.

Can you explain what the different terms in the PCN process mean?
Full details of the terms used in the PCN process are in our glossary of terms.

Where can I find more information & advice?

• Parking and Traffic Regulations Outside of London (PATROL) website

Parking place	Max stay	Parking disc required	Cost	Further information
Alnmouth Railway Station (Northbound)	All day	No	Free

Time limits apply from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday (including bank holidays).

Parking place	Max stay	Parking disc required	Cost	Further information
Bondgate Hill Cobbles	2 hours	Yes	Free	Some bays suitable for motorhomes
Bondgate Within	2 hours	Yes	Free
Clayport Street	2 hours	Yes	Free
Fenkle Street	2 hours	Yes	Free	Some bays suitable for motorhomes
Market Street	2 hours	Yes	Free
Pottergate	3 hours	Yes	Free
Dispensary Street	All day	No	Free	Some bays suitable for motorhomes
Greenwell Road (A)	All day	No	Free	Designated motorhome parking bays available
Greenwell Road (B)	All day	No	Free
Greenwell Road (C)	All day	No	Free
Greenwell Road (D)	4 hours	Yes	Free	Designated coach parking bays available
Greenwell Road (E)	All day	No	Free
Pottergate New Row	All day	No	Free
Roxburgh Place	All day	No	Free	Some bays suitable for motorhomes

Time limits apply from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday (including bank holidays).

Parking place	Max stay	Parking disc required	Cost	Further information
Station Yard North	2 hours	No	Free
Station Yard South	All day	No	Free
Cricket Club	All day	No	Free
Dairy House	All day	No	Free
John Street	All day	No	Free
Wansbeck Square	All day	No	Free
Haldane Street	All day	No	Free
Park Road	All day	No	Free
Woodhorn Road	All day	No	Free

Parking time limits:

• Car parks - 8am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday including bank holidays
• On-street - 9am to 5.30pm, Monday to Saturday including bank holidays

Parking place	Max stay	Parking disc required	Cost	Further information
Chapel Street	1 hour	Yes	Free
Hide Hill	1 hour	Yes	Free
Bridge Street	2 hours	Yes	Free
Church Street	2 hours	Yes	Free
Eastern Lane car park	2 hours	Yes	Free
Sandgate	2 hours	Yes	Free
Castlegate car park	3 hours	Yes	Free
Waugh Place car park	3 hours	Yes	Free
Woolmarket	3 hours	Yes	Free
Woolmarket car park	3 hours	Yes	Free
Wallace Green	3 hours	Yes	Free
Castlegate long stay	All day	No	Free
Castlegate overflow	All day	No	Free	Some bays suitable for motorhomes
Chapel Street coach park	All day	No	Free	Coach park operational from 8:00 to 19:00 Access controlled by automatic rising bollards
Coxons Lane	All day	No	Free	Some bays suitable for motorhomes
Foul Ford	All day	No	Free
Parade	All day	No	Free
Quayside	All day	No	Free	Some bays suitable for motorhomes
Berwick Railway Station	All day	No	£3.50*

* 20 minutes free in designated bays only. Parking restrictions operate from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Sunday including bank holidays. Alternative free long stay parking is available in the Castlegate overflow car park.
The ticket machines at Berwick Railway Station accept cash and card payments.

 Car park map

• View the town centre parking map of Berwick here

Parking place	Max stay	Parking disc required	Cost	Further information
Freehold Street	All day	No	Free
High Street	All day	No	Free
Keel Row	All day	No	Free
King Street	All day	No	Free
Blyth Sports Centre	All day	No	Free	Desginated coach parking bays available

We have a range of pay and display and free coastal car parks from as far north as Berwick stretching down the Northumberland coast to Seaton Sluice.

Parking place	Max stay	Parking disc required	Cost	Further information
Links Road, Bamburgh	All day	No	Free	Some bays suitable for coaches and motorhomes
Beadnell	All day	No	Free
Mermaid, Blyth	All day	No	Free	Desginated coach parking bays available
Ranch Links, Blyth	All day	No	Free
Beachway, Blyth	All day	No	Free
Fountain Head, Seaton Sluice	All day	No	Free
Old Hartley, Seaton Sluice	All day	No	Free
Church Point car park, Newbiggin	All day	No	Free	Desginated coach parking bays available
Craster car park, High Newton car park, Low Newton car park	All day	No	50p/hr or £2 all day
Chare Ends car park, Holy Island	All day	No	3 hrs £2.40 All day £4.40
Green Lane car park, Holy Island	All day	No	4 hrs  £4 All Day £6	Coaches and Blue Badge holder parking only (Blue Badge free of charge)
Station Yard, Seahouses	All day	No	1 hr free 2 hrs £1.80 3hrs £2.40 4 hrs £3.00 All day £3.50	Desginated coach parking bays available 4 hrs - £4  All day - £6

Charges apply from 9am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday (including bank holidays).

Parking place	Max stay	Parking disc required	Cost	Further Information
Corbridge Village car park	All day	No	Free
Church Lane Hill Street St Helens Street Front Street Watling Street Princes Street Main Street Well Bank	3 hours	No	30 min free 1 hr £0.50 2 hrs £0.80 3 hrs £1.20

Parking place	Max stay	Parking disc required	Cost	Further information
Cramlington Library	All day	No	Free
Middle Farm	All day	No	Free
Smithy Square	All day	No	Free

Parking place	Max stay	Parking disc required	Cost	Further information
Fair Hill	All day	No	Free
Lanty’s Lonnen	All day	No	Free
Railway Station	All day	No	Free

Time limits apply:

• car parks – 8am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday including bank holidays
• on street areas – 9am to 5pm, Monday to Saturday including bank holidays

Parking place	Max stay	Parking disc required	Cost	Further information
Market Place	1 hour	Yes	Free
Beaumont Street	2 hours	Yes	Free
Market Street	2 hours	Yes	Free
Gilesgate short stay	2 hours	Yes	Free
Priestpopple	2 hours	Yes	Free
St Marys Wynd	2 hours	Yes	Free
Wentworth short stay (red bays only)	2 hours	Yes	Free
Gilesgate	3 hours	Yes	Free
Loosing Hill	3 hours	Yes	Free
Wentworth medium stay (blue bays only)	4 hours	Yes	Free	Some bays suitable for motorhomes
Gilesgate long stay	All day	No	Free
Tyne Green	All day	No	Free	Suitable for motorhomes
Tyne Mills	All day	No	Free
Wentworth long stay (white bays only)	All day	No	Free	Some bays suitable for motorhomes
Wentworth HGV and coach park	All day	No	4 hrs £4 All day £6	Visiting coaches from outside Tynedale may park free of charge

There are also a number of private parking providers in Hexham.
 

Parking place	Max stay	Control method
Aldi car park	90 minutes	CCTV
Homebase car park	2 hours	CCTV
Tesco car park	3 hours	CCTV
Beales car park	3 hours	Pay and display
Marks & Spencer car park	4 hours	Pay and display
Corbridge Road car park	All day	Pay and display
Hexham Station car park	All day	Pay and display

Time limits apply 8am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday including bank holidays

Parking place	Max stay	Parking disc required	Cost	Further information
Back Riggs	3 hours	Yes	Free
Castle Square	3 hours	Yes	Free
Corporation Yard	3 hours	Yes	Free
Dacre Street	3 hours	Yes	Free
Newmarket East	3 hours	Yes	Free
Newmarket West	3 hours	Yes	Free
St James short stay (red bays only)	3 hours	Yes	Free
Stanley Terrace North	3 hours	Yes	Free
Stanley Terrace South	3 hours	Yes	Free
The Terrace short stay (red bays only)	3 hours	Yes	Free
Whalebone Lane (A)	3 hours	Yes	Free
Whalebone Lane (B)	3 hours	Yes	Free
Whalebone Lane (C)	3 hours	Yes	Free
Whalebone Lane (D)	3 hours	Yes	Free
Greys Yard	All day	No	Free
Matheson's Gardens	All day	No	Free
Morpeth Railway Station	All day	No	Free
St James long stay (white bays only)	All day	No	Free
Staithes Lane*	All day	No	Free
The Terrace long stay (white bays only)	All day	No	Free

* Staithes Lane Car Park opening hours - 8am to 10pm, Monday to Saturday, and 10am to 4pm, Sunday. All vehicles left in the car park at closing time will be locked in until the following morning.

Parking place	Max stay	Parking disc required	Cost	Further information
Thornhill Road Short Stay	3 hours	No	Free
Thornhill Road	All day	No	Free
Merton Way South Short Stay	3 hours	No	Free
Merton Way North	All day	No	Free	Suitable for motorhomes
Merton Way South	All day	No	Free

Parking place	Max stay	Parking disc required	Cost	Further information
Fair View	All day	No	Free
Neale Street	All day	No	Free
Oaklands	All day	No	Free

Parking place	Max stay	Parking disc required	Cost	Further information
Beggars Rigg	All day	No	Free
Cowhaugh car	All day	No	Free	Designated coach parking bays Some bays suitable for motorhomes

Parking place	Max stay	Parking disc required	Cost	Further information
Padgepool Place	All day	No	Free
Ramsey's Lane	All day	No	Free
Wooler Bus Station	2 hours	No	Free	Designated coach parking bays available

You will need to display a parking disc, set at the time you arrive, in our short stay parking places in Alnwick, Berwick, Hexham and Morpeth. The long stay car parks don’t require a disc.

Parking discs cost £1 each and you can get one from:

• libraries
• tourist information centres
• customer information centres
• local businesses

Parking discs from other local authorities can be used and remember to check the signs when you park for more information.

View our town centre parking maps below:

• Alnwick
• Berwick
• Hexham
• Morpeth

Or you can view our countywide maps - some areas aren’t yet included because the maps are still under construction:

• View a map showing off street car parks
• View a map showing on street parking locations

We maintain our pay and display machines regularly but technical issues are sometimes unavoidable. If you’re parking where a ticket machine isn’t working, follow these steps:

1. Check for other ticket machines in the parking area and buy a pay and display ticket.
2. Call 0345 600 6400 to report the fault - if you can, with the fault description, location and ticket machine number.
3. If you couldn’t buy a ticket from a different machine, clearly display a note on your vehicle dashboard stating the ticket machine was out of order at the time of your arrival. If you have reported the fault, please also state this on the note.

You may still receive a penalty charge notice, sometimes called a parking ticket, but following these steps will help prevent this.

We’ve highlighted the car parks in Northumberland that can accommodate large vehicles in the locations and charges section above.

It’s important vehicles only park in bays of an appropriate size. If you’re using our off-street pay and display car parks, it’s fine to take up more than one bay providing you pay for all of the bays you are using.

We are currently looking to improve parking facilities within a number of car parks to allow for dedicated motor home parking bays.

The car parks in Northumberland country parks are also suitable for parking large vehicles and motor homes.

Please note: cooking, camping and sleeping are not allowed in any of our car parks.

We allow mobile traders to sell certain goods in some of our NCC managed parking places, this is subject to the trader obtaining a licence granted by the council and a valid street trading consent. 

The right to trade from these locations are awarded on a three-year cycle by way of submitting a sealed bid for each consecutive year in the period advertised.

Trading licences expire on 31 March at the end of the three year period and the advertisement for the renewal of those trading licences will be placed in the local press and on this web page between December and February prior to the expiry of the licence. 

• To find locations where we allow trading together with what can be sold and when the licences are due to expire, click here.

We are currently in the process of awarding and finalising the concessions for the north area car parks which start from 1 April 2017 for a three-year period.

The relevant form to use to submit a sealed bid and other related documents are detailed below:
 

• Covering letter for 2017 bids
• Advertisement for licences to start 2017
• Invitation to Tender 2017
• Tender submission form 2017
• Example of licence given
• Risk assessment form – employee
• Risk assessment form – public
• Street trading consent letter and application form 
• Street Trading declaration

Tenders will not be considered if there are any outstanding trading licence fees from any previous licence periods.
 

Motorcycles are exempt from charges when parking in on-street and off-street pay and display bays.

Motorcycles are also exmept from displaying a disc in disc parking places.

Please note that Motorcycles are NOT exempt from the time limits in force in the place where they park. 

Where possible motorcyclists should aim to park within designated motorcycle bays, however where this is not possible, they can park within a marked parking bay.

For example a motorcycle may park in an ordinary bay within a 3 hour time limited disc parking car park. They do not need to display a parking disc but they must not park for longer than three hours.  

Motorcycles cannot park within disabled bays, loading bays, taxi ranks, on yellow lines, bus stops, residents only streets, permit holders only bays (without a permit) or adjacent to a dropped kerb.

This permit is valid in any our pay and display parking places.

• View the terms and conditions here

Apply for a pay and display parking permit

• online  - you will need your credit/debit card
• by phone – call 0345 600 6400 or one of our local phone numbers and pay with a debit/credit card
• in person - visit one of our customer information centres - cards, cash or cheque payments accepted
• by post – by downloading and completing pay and display permit application form 

Costs

• three-month permit - £48
• six-month permit - £70
• 12-month permit - £130

If you work ‘on call’ for an organisation that provides emergency/urgent health or social care to patients in the community, you can apply for a community worker permit.

They cost £15, are valid for two years and can only be used in the vehicle specified on your permit. Each applicant is entitled to one permit only.

Full terms and conditions are included on the application form. Here’s how to apply: 

1. Download, complete and sign the community worker permit application form.
2. Gather the supporting evidence listed on the application form.
3. Post your completed application, supporting evidence and a cheque for £15, to parking services (see form for details).

You can also return the form in person at one of our customer information centres and pay using a debit/credit card, cash or cheque.

Applications will be processed inside 10 days providing you’ve included all the necessary documentation and signed the application form.

If you live in a residential property within a residents’ parking scheme area, i.e. ‘permit holders only’, you’ll need to apply for a permit to park during restricted hours. A permit doesn’t guarantee a parking space outside of your property, because resident bays aren’t allocated to individual properties. View the terms and conditions here.

How to apply
Permits are £15 each and applications take 10 days to process, providing all the information is included and the form is signed. 

1. Download and complete the residents’ parking permit application form or request a form from parking services on 0345 600 6400.
2. Gather the supporting evidence listed on the application form.
3. Post your completed application, supporting evidence and a cheque for £15, to parking services (see form for details).

You can also return the form in person at one of our customer information centres and pay using a debit/credit card, cash or cheque.

Additional permits
You can apply for up to two permits per property - one for a registered vehicle and one visitor permit. Requests for additional permits may be considered at the time of renewal, providing there is enough capacity within your scheme.

Replacement permits
If you change your vehicle you’ll need to apply for a replacement permit. Residents can have one free of charge replacement permit per year. Any additional replacements cost £15. 
 

Download the current resident permit schemes in place containing information about where you can use your permit.

If you run a guest house or a hotel within resident parking scheme areas, you can apply for additional permits.

We’ll consider your requirements, taking into account the number of bedrooms and any alternative council-operated off-street parking or private parking nearby.

Complete the standard residents’ parking permit application form and include proof the premises are being used as a guest house or hotel.

We won’t necessarily be able to provide permits for every guest room. If you have more guests than you have permits, you’ll need to find alternative places for them to park safely and legally.

An annual permit is available for heavy goods vehicles parking in the Wentworth car park in Hexham. Download and complete the HGV annual application form and post it to parking services or take it to a customer information centre.

Civil parking enforcement allows us to enforce the regulations in place to make sure everyone parks correctly and safely where ever parking restrictions exist. In other words, if there is a line or a sign that prohibits people from parking, we can take action.

Civil enforcement officers, sometimes known as traffic wardens or parking attendants, make sure everyone follows these rules, which help:

• reduce traffic congestion
• create safer roads for pedestrians, cyclists, mobility vehicles, etc...
• improve access for public transport

When can we not take action?
If there are no regulations in place we have no power to take action, such as when a car parks on a pavement or grass verge. The police can deal with obstructions on the highway where no signs, lines or regulations are in place and you should contact Northumbria Police on 101 in these cases.

Enforcing regulations can sometimes lead to disputes and we want to create a safe and respectful environment for both the public and our civil enforcement officers to operate in. To help prevent disputes from escalating and allow issues to be settled fairly, our officers now wear cameras to record incidents that occur.

The cameras worn are not recording constantly and are only activated when parking charge notices are issued or if an officer feels threatened. Our civil enforcement officers also should announce when they are activating their cameras so it is clear the interaction is being recorded.

If you believe an interaction between you and one of our officers has been recorded and you would like to view the footage, complete a subject access request (SAR) no more than 31 days after it was filmed. Recordings older than 31 days are normally deleted.

Subject access enables people to find out what personal data is held about them. SARs for footage recorded on body worn video cameras must be made within 31 days from the date of your interaction with a civil enforcement officer. It costs £10 for us to process the request. Here’s what you need to do:

• download and complete the form
• include photographic proof of ID – e.g. a copy of your passport or driving licence
• include a proof of address
• include a cheque for £10 made payable to ‘Northumberland County Council’

Send everything listed to the Information Governance Office, Information Services, Northumberland County Council, County Hall, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 2EF. Once we’ve received your payment and all the information we need, we’ll get back to you within 40 days.

If you can’t download the form, email parkingservices@northumberland.gov.uk or call 0345 600 6400.

Please note: occasionally videos may not be released for legal reasons that will be explained to you.

Here are our on and off-street parking accounts showing a breakdown of revenue collected from penalty charge notices, pay and display tickets and permits and expenditure.

• On-Street Parking Account 2013_2014
• Off-Street Parking Account 2013_2014

If you have mobility problems you might qualify for a blue badge, which allows you to park closer to public facilities.

The badge costs £10, which is charged once your application is successful. First you need to apply and then you should send us your supporting evidence, to show you’re eligible for a badge.

You can apply online, which is best, or download the guidance notes and application form and:

• Email your application to bluebadges@northumberland.gov.uk
• Post your application to The Blue Badge Team, Northumberland County Council, Wansbeck Square, Ashington, NE63 9XL.
• Alternatively, visit one of our customer information centres for assistance.

Once you’ve completed the form, email your supporting evidence to bluebadges@northumberland.gov.uk.

If you can’t download the form or complete your application online, call us on 0345 600 6400 or visit one of our customer information centres for a copy.

If your application is successful, we will contact you to take payment.

More information is available on the scheme on the gov.uk website.

You can also read our leaflets - Blue Badges Rights and Responsibilities and Can I get a Blue Badge?

A letter reminding you to renew your blue badge will be sent to you six to eight weeks before your badge expires. 

Please let us know if you move house, so the letter goes to the right address.

We won’t automatically send you a new badge when your current one expires. We assess all renewals in the same way we assess brand new applications. That’s why you must complete a new application form to renew your badge and provide all the information requested. This is because:

• your situation, and what you are eligible for, may have changed
• the criteria for a blue badge might have changed

If you are staying within Northumberland, you should contact our blue badge team to give them your new address. This will ensure the reminder letter about your badge expiring goes to the right address.

If you are moving to another county, inform your new council about your new address and you can carry on using your badge until expires. Six weeks before the expiry date you need to apply for your badge again via your new council.

If your badge is lost or stolen, you must report this to the police and get a crime reference number before you can get a replacement blue badge.

Follow the step-by-step process on the gov.uk website. 

Alternatively, complete the replacement blue badge application form. Return the application form to the address shown on the form, with a new passport photo for the replacement badge.

We’ll contact you by telephone to take payment of £10 for the replacement badge.

You can also call into one of our customer information centres for assistance.

Return it to the blue badge team, and we’ll cancel the badge and update our records without you needing to do anything else. You can also hand the badge into one of our customer information centres.

If you suspect someone is misusing blue badges, email bluebadges@northumberland.gov.uk or write to:

Northumberland County Council
Blue Badge Team
Wansbeck Square
Ashington
Northumberland
NE63 9XL

Please include the following in your email/letter:

• the blue badge serial number
• the registration number of the vehicle using the blue badge
• circumstances of the suspected misuse
• date when the suspected misuse took place
• your contact details - although you can make an anonymous report if you prefer

If you’d like to request a new ‘on-street’ disabled parking bay introduced at a public building or home address, email highwaysprogramme@northumberland.gov.uk.

To qualify for a residential disabled parking bay near your home, you must be a blue badge holder and:

• demonstrate a genuine need for the bay requested
• not have access to private parking within or near the premises
• receive the higher rate mobility component of the disability living allowance
• drive your own car or nominate a carer who drives you and resides at your address
• provide copies of your driving licence and vehicle registration documents displaying your name and address

The application form also needs to be signed by a doctor or occupational therapist.

Applications for new bays take a minimum of three months. We will deal with applications as quickly as possible.

However, creating new parking places involves consultation with the local community, which can take time.

The council regularly receives complaints about road safety concerns outside of our schools, including:

• inconsiderate parking
• the safety of children accessing school
• speeding

We work regularly with schools, parents and local residents to help reduce these safety issues but concerns continue to grow. From experience, we know the presence of civil enforcement officers improves the behaviour of drivers. Therefore, we are using our enforcement vehicle as part of the measures to deal with parking problems more effectively.

We hope the vehicle will promote safe parking outside schools and encourage alternative methods of how to get to and from school. 

The vehicle monitors school keep clear restrictions and the camera will be used to capture vehicles breaking parking regulations. The owner of the vehicle will then be sent a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) by post. 

If you receive a PCN it means our camera has captured your vehicle breaking the rules of a school keep clear restriction. You need to follow the instructions on the reverse of the PCN which tells you about the appeals process or alternatively you can pay here.

We work with our schools and partners to promote the enforcement vehicle.

We have worked in partnership with the Go Smarter team to produce a promotionasl video as part of the ‘Be a smarter parker’ campaign. The video aims to encourage parents and carers to think carefully when parking near to a school.  To view the video click here.

We are also keen to carry out visits to schools to talk about road safety and to give children and teachers an opportunity to look inside the vehicle and learn more about how enforcement is carried out. Please contact parking services for further information or to arrange a visit.