Blue Badges (Disabled parking)
This scheme provides a national arrangement of parking concessions for people with severe walking difficulties who travel as drivers or passengers, and those who are registered blind. The scheme also applies to people with severe upper limb disabilities who regularly drive a vehicle but cannot turn a steering wheel by hand.
To find out if you are entitled to a Blue Badge, and how you can apply, contact Hampshire County Council's Blue Badge Unit on 0845 603 5633 or e-mail them at blue.badge@hants.gov.uk . To help the Blue Badge unit answer your enquiry please be prepared to give your national insurance number and the details of your GP.
For more details please contact Hampshire County Council's Blue Badge unit
Car Parks for Blue Badge Holders
Basingstoke town centre is an attractive venue for people with mobility difficulties. Parking at Festival Place has been designed to offer good access to the shops and facilities. Other areas of the town centre, such as the 'Top of Town', The Haymarket, the War Memorial Park, the Anvil Concert Hall, and Eastrop Park are all within a short distance of a car park with spaces for disabled drivers.
The locations and number of designated disabled bays are listed below:
|
Name of car park |
Number of Blue Badge bays |
|
Alencon Link |
16 |
|
Anchor Yard |
1 |
|
Castons Yard |
8 |
|
Central car park |
14 |
|
Festival Place |
118* |
|
Haymarket Yard |
4 |
|
Jacobs Yard |
2 |
|
Joices Yard |
5 |
|
Sarum Hill |
2 |
|
TOTAL |
170 |
*NOTE:
Festival Place and Basingstoke railway station car parks are not controlled by the borough council and there may be a charge for Blue Badge holders
Pedestrian access from Festival Place to the 'Top of Town', the Haymarket Theatre and The War Memorial Park is via Wote Street and Church Street. These streets are pedestrianised but involve steep hills. If you have walking difficulties, you may prefer to park in one of the surface car parks at the top end of town.
Click here for the location of car parks.
For a small charge people with mobility difficulties can hire a scooter or wheelchair from Shopmobility. This is located in Church Street near Marks and Spencer. For more information contact Shopmobility on 01256 476066, or e-mail info@shopmobilitybasingstoke.org The website address is http://www.shopmobilitybasingstoke.org
General parking information for Blue Badge holders in Basingstoke and Deane
You CAN park:
- on single yellow lines on roads (but not in car parks), for up to three hours, except:
- where you would cause an obstruction.
- On double yellow lines on roads (but not in car parks), for up to three hours, except:
- where you would cause an obstruction, or
- where there is a loading ban (indicated by kerb markings and signs)
- in a Blue Badge holders bay or a pay and display bay in a council car park. Parking is free, and there is no limit to the length of stay.
- in any council owned pay and display car park, but not in designated permit holder bays or loading bays. No payment is required, and there is no limit to the length of stay.
- in on-street marked disabled bays in Church Street, Clifton Terrace and in front of The Anvil.
You must NOT park:
- on single or double yellow lines in a car park
- on double yellow lines in a car park or where a loading ban is in force. These are indicated by:
- a single or double stripe on the edge of the pavement, as well as yellow lines.
- a nearby sign showing the times when loading and unloading is prohibited.
- in loading bays which are for the use of heavy commercial vehicles (unless you are loading or unloading)
- in bays reserved for taxis
- in bus laybys or bus lanes
- outside a marked parking bay within a car park
- in any hatched area within a car park
- in bays reserved for permit holders.
Blue Badge Map (Interactive mapping system)
A national mapping system allowing people with disabilities to find blue badge parking bays has been extended to Basingstoke. The upgraded online Blue Badge Map service offers information on shared-use parking bays, residents' parking bays, parking restrictions, Shopmobility sites, toilet facilities and train station and airport accessibility.
You can search the map by entering a street, town or postcode. Alternatively, you can pick a town or city from a list of all locations covered by the service. You can choose the facilities you would like to see displayed on the map from a list by ticking the box next to the desired facility and then click on 'show'. You can see the details about a facility by clicking on its icon.
Different councils have different parking rules, and the map uses a colour-coding system to show the rules in any given area. To see what the different colours mean, click on 'Parking rules'. There is an explanation of the colour scheme and a list of councils.
The map can be found at direct.gov.uk/bluebadgemap.