A Middlesbrough councillor has renewed his plea for people to stop taking advantage of disabled parking spaces
Blue Badge Parking space in Cambridge, UK. (Photo by: Andrew Michael/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)(Image: Education Images, Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Middlesbrough Council has issued nearly 3,000 fines to people abusing the Blue Badge scheme in the town over the course of six years. Figures show that 2,868 fines were issued by the council between 2019 and 2024 (inclusive) for misuse of disabled parking spaces.
A council spokesman has said it is “unacceptable” for drivers to park in disabled bays without a valid Blue Badge and has urged drivers to be considerate. Conservative Councillor David Coupe, who is a long-time campaigner when it comes to trying to stop the abuse of disabled parking bays, said that he still sees misuse “all the time”.
2022 saw more fines issued than any of the other recent years, with 610 handed out, compared to just 205 in 2020. However, 2020 was an outlier, likely due to the effects of the pandemic, with the other five years seeing fine numbers ranging from 425 and 610. There were 171 repeat offenders who were fined more than once for parking in a disabled bay without being eligible to do so.
There are currently 73 dedicated disabled bays in Middlesbrough Council-operated town centre car parks, and 65 on-street bays. The national Blue Badge scheme makes parking available for those with disabilities travelling as either drivers or passengers.
Motorists using these bays are required to display a valid Blue Badge in their vehicle – misuse is a criminal offence and can result in prosecution, a fine of up to £1,000, and the confiscation of the badge.
Just three locations made up a majority of the fines issued. Bedford Street saw 553 violations recorded, while Captain Cook Square car park was second with 501, and Grange Road rounded out the top three with 443 recorded offences.
Earlier this month, Middlesbrough, jointly with Redcar & Cleveland Council, undertook a Blue Badge day of action to clamp down on parking fraud across South Tees. As shopping areas become increasingly busy over Christmas, the local councils took steps to ensure disabled people issued with Blue Badges can still access services and shops.
When confronted by the figures, Cllr Coupe says it showed there’s “a lot of abuse out there”. He spoke of misuse and gave the example of someone not being the intended user of a Blue Badge, but if it’s in the car, then they might use it anyway, “when you absolutely should not”.
He discussed the issue of disabled people being deprived from using spots intended for them and says it happens “a lot” in supermarket car parks. The Stainton & Thornton ward councillor also spoke about the Blue Badge days of action and his desire to see more of these undertaken.
Cllr David Coupe(Image: Terry Blackburn / Teesside Live)
Cllr Coupe has personal experience of the struggles of not being able to find an appropriate parking space as his partner, Valerie, is a Blue Badge holder. “We’ve driven round car parks and not been able to get one, we had one recently, couldn’t get in, so have to drop Valerie off”, and then Cllr Coupe will go and find a parking space further away.
He highlighted how on some occasions, it will be possible to physically park in a disabled bay, but some inconsiderate people park “across” the bay and this prevents the door being opened to the necessary width to enable his partner to get out. Cllr Coupe explained that this had happened as recently as the previous night and bemoaned people taking up “effectively two spaces”.
He pointed out there can be more reasons for having a Blue Badge than one might initially think, saying: “It’s not just the fact you might not be able to walk very far.” As for those who take up a disabled bay for even a short period without eligibility, Cllr Coupe said: “‘I’m only here for two minutes’ is not an excuse, in my eyes.”
A Middlesbrough Council spokesman said: “The Blue Badge scheme provides parking for people with disabilities who travel as either drivers or passengers. Dedicated marked accessible bays enable blue badge holders to park nearer to where they need to go than a standard parking space might.
“It is unacceptable for anyone in Middlesbrough to abuse this. We urge drivers to be considerate of those in need and park responsibly. Those tempted to flout the law will face a fine if caught.”
The figures were obtained via a freedom of information (FOI) request by Evans Halshaw . Julie Wallman, Evans Halshaw divisional marketing director, said: “Disabled parking bays exist to ensure safe and accessible travel for people with limited mobility, whether they’re heading to a supermarket, medical appointment, or just going about their day. When drivers use these spaces without a Blue Badge, it reduces availability for those who genuinely need them.”
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