The Disabled Person’s Parking Badge scheme, also known as the Blue Badge scheme, provides a national arrangement of parking concessions for people with severe mobility difficulties who travel either as drivers or passengers. It also applies to people who are registered blind and people with very severe disabilities in both upper limbs who regularly drive a vehicle but have difficulty using a parking meter and children under the age of three with specific medical conditions. A Blue Badge will help you to park close to your destination, either as a passenger or driver. However, the Badge is intended for on-street parking only. Off street car parks, such as those provided in local authority, hospital or supermarket car parks are governed by separate rules. We recommend you check the restrictions in place when you park. Do not assume you can always park for free. For more guidance about where you can park in the city with a Blue Badge have a look on the Blue Badge Parking page.
Organisations Applying for Blue Badge
A Blue Badge is also available for organisations that transport disabled people regularly (minimum of 12). If the organisation transports less than 12 people, the council encourages each individual to apply in their own right.
Criteria
Southampton City Council administers the Blue Badge scheme for the Southampton area on behalf of the Department for Transport. Badges are issued subject to eligibility criteria being met. For more information on the criteria please see the ‘Can I Get a Blue Badge?’ leaflet (DfT).
Changes to Blue Badge Applications 2012
At the end of 2011, changes were made to Blue Badges and the way they are issued, and as a result, so did the cost. The fee for all applications, whether new, re-applications, lost/stolen or damaged/faded, has risen to £10. Payment is only required if your application is successful, and is payable on collection of the Badge. You can pay in cash, cheque or postal order. Cheques are to be made payable to Southampton City Council.
Your new Blue Badge will now feature a ‘Start Date’ and 'Expiry Date'. Therefore, If you are renewing your Badge we will need your application no less than 28 days before expiry of your current Badge, so that your new Badge will ready for collection the day after your current Badge expires. Badges can only be used from the start date up to and including the expiry date.
How to Apply
You can now apply for your Blue Badge directly from this home page through our new Blue Badge online application form. If you have access to a scanner you can scan and upload your passport photos, signature and supporting documentation with the form to make processing easier. If not, you can still complete the online form and then write the online reference number on the back of your photos and send them to the Blue Badge team with your documentation.
You can still continue to apply for your Blue Badge by one of the following methods:
• telephone the Blue Badge team to request an application form
• collect an application form in person from Gateway
• download and print an application form from the link at the bottom of this page. Once completed, it should be sent with two passport photographs and full supporting documentation to the Blue Badge team.
Please note: If you have recently applied for a Blue Badge, and the application was unsuccessful, please be aware that you must wait 6 months before you re-apply, unless there has been a substantial deterioration in your health which has severely impacted your mobility.
If your application is successful, we will telephone you to request payment. Once received your Badge will be printed, then you will be required to collect it from Gateway (One Guildhall Square). We will contact you by telephone to arrange an agreed date. If you are unable to do this in person, then it is essential that you clearly indicate on your application under the ‘Badge Collection’ section who will be collecting the Badge, together with their telephone number. If we are unsuccessful in contacting you by phone, we will send a letter asking you to call us to arrange a suitable collection date.
At the time of collection you will need to present 1 photographic proof of identity (eg. passport, driving licence, Smartcities bus pass or expired Blue Badge). If you do not have any photographic proof of identity then contact the Blue Badge team for further information. If you have nominated a representative to collect your Badge, they too will be required to show proof of identity. Re-applying applicants must also return their existing Badge to Gateway. If the required documentation is not provided, your Disabled Person’s Parking Badge cannot be collected.
Further Information
For information, Gateway is our face to face contact centre based on the ground floor of One Guildhall Square, Southampton SO14 7FP. It is open Monday, Tuesday and Friday 8.30am - 5.30pm, Wednesday: 9.30am - 5.30pm and late opening on Thursday: 8.30am - 7pm.
Copyright © Southampton City Council 2009
