Blue badge parking

Am I entitled to a Blue Badge?

To find out if you are entitled to a blue badge, and how you can apply, contact Hampshire County Council's blue badge unit by emailing them at blue.badge@hants.gov.uk or phoning 0300 555 1376. To help the blue badge unit answer your enquiry please have your national insurance number and the details of your doctor. Contact Hampshire County Council's Blue Badge unit for more details.

Car parks for Blue Badge holders

Festival Place
Parking at Festival Place has been designed to offer good, level access to the shops and facilities.

The Malls
Blue badge holders, who have registered in advance for concessionary parking, can gain free entry and exit to this car park with their pass card. If you have difficulty operating the pass card system, and you are the only person who drives the vehicle, we can arrange for our system to recognise the vehicle number plate, the barriers will then be raised automatically on entry and exit.

Register for concessionary parking at The Malls

Family and friends or organisations, such as NeighbourCare that provide transportation for blue badge holders in vehicles that have not been pre-registered, will still be able to use the car park for free. They can register on the day, but the blue badge holder will need to present their badge when requested by the car parking management staff.

Other car parks
Other car parks in the town centre have spaces for disabled drivers, but are located further away from the main Town Centre area and may involve steep slopes.

The locations and number of designated disabled bays are listed below:

* This car park is owned and controlled by the council, this is a pay on foot car park.

** Festival Place and Basingstoke railway station car parks are not controlled by the 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, visit our find a car park webpage.

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 by emailing info@shopmobilitybasingstoke.org or by phoning 01256 476066, or visit the Shopmobility website.

As a blue badge holder, where can I park?

You can park:

• on single yellow lines on roads (but not in car parks), for up to three hours, except where you could cause an obstruction
  
• on double yellow lines on roads (but not in car parks), for up to three hours, except where you could 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

You must not park:

• on single or double yellow lines in a car park
  
• where a loading ban is in force. This is indicated by a single or double stripe on the edge of the pavement, as well as yellow lines or 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 business, resident or other specific permit holders
  

Useful links

The Blue Badge scheme: rights and responsibilities in England - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Who can get a Blue Badge - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)