Swansea ranks among UK’s worst for Blue Badge parking misuse, new data shows

New data released by mobility specialists CareCo reveals the scale of illegal parking in disabled bays, with Swansea responsible for 7.1% of all UK misuse cases in 2024. That places the city sixth nationally, ahead of major urban areas including Westminster, Bristol and Glasgow.

Only a handful of the UK’s largest cities — including Birmingham, Bournemouth, London and Cardiff — recorded higher levels of misuse.

The figures come from freedom of information responses submitted to more than 400 councils, and highlight how often disabled parking bays are being used illegally — leaving Blue Badge holders, elderly residents and people with limited mobility struggling to access essential services.

Across the UK, more than 45,000 penalty charge notices were issued last year for vehicles parked in accessible bays without the required permit — an average of 123 incidents every day.

With fines ranging from £70 to £130, the data suggests drivers misusing disabled bays paid more than £3.16 million in penalties in 2024.

William Harrison, founder of CareCo, said:

Accessible parking bays are a vital resource. When they are unavailable, those who need them most can be prevented from attending appointments, visiting shops, or living with their own vital independence. This high demand is under increased pressure from both misuse and lack of availability.

Swansea Council was among the authorities that responded to the FOI request, contributing to the national dataset. The figures show Swansea’s rate of misuse is higher than several larger UK cities, raising questions about enforcement, demand and the availability of accessible bays across the city.

In a statement to Swansea Bay News, a spokesperson from Swansea Council said:

“Accessible parking provision is vital for motorists who have limited mobility and rely on being able to park their vehicle near to local amenities.

“We do all we can to ensure these parking spaces are used properly and our parking enforcement team will continue to issue PCNs to motorists that are not permitted to use them.”

CareCo, which says it supports more than 2.8 million Blue Badge holders through its mobility advice and products, says it hopes the findings will spark a wider conversation about accessibility and independence.

A brilliant phone in about Blue Badge use and biscuits 😂

#BlueBadge #Disability #parking #biscuits

https://youtu.be/MDzVnkh_-EY

First steps agreed towards extending access in Bridgend town centre

The Cabinet of Bridgend County Borough Council has approved an experimental traffic order that will run for 18 months, marking the first stage in reintroducing some forms of vehicular and cycle access to the pedestrianised streets.

The decision follows a public consultation which attracted more than 700 responses. A majority of participants supported extending loading and unloading hours, allowing cycling within the pedestrian zone, and creating more parking spaces for Blue Badge holders.

As part of the trial, loading and unloading will be permitted before 11am and after 4pm, while underused taxi bays on Derwen Road will be converted into additional disabled parking. Cycling will also be permitted in the pedestrianised area, subject to safety assessments, and arrangements will be simplified for large‑scale events or emergencies.

Councillor Neelo Farr, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Economic Development and Housing, said the council had listened carefully to public feedback and endorsed a motion to explore how traffic could be partially reintroduced.

“Public safety remains our primary concern, and this represents the first step towards restoring elements of vehicular and bicycle access within Bridgend town centre.”

The changes form part of the Bridgend Town Centre Masterplan, which recommended exploring new access options in light of updated national policy and guidance. The council will now monitor the impact of the experimental order closely over the coming months before deciding whether to make the changes permanent.

#blueBadge #Bridgend #BridgendCountyBoroughCouncil #BridgendTownCentre #CllrNeeloFarr #cycling #disabledParking #loading #parking #pedestrianZone #unloading

Over £6,000 to be paid by convicted fraudster found misusing disabled blue parking badge

Liam Pritchard of Pontardawe used the badge to park at Porthcawl’s John Street Car Park instead of paying for a parking ticket. 

Bridgend County Borough Council’s parking team said that its checks revealed the badge had been reported lost, was subsequently cancelled, and that the person misusing the badge was not the badge holder.

Mr Pritchard appeared at Swansea Magistrates Court on 27 May where he pleaded guilty to having a disabled blue badge in his possession for fraudulent use.

The magistrates, who remarked that it was a shame that Mr Pritchard had behaved in a way which led to him losing his good character, imposed a £816 fine, a victim surcharge of £326 and court costs of £5,080 – totalling £6,222 which is due to be paid by Mr Pritchard.

Cllr Hywel Williams, Bridgend County Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Finance and Performance, said: “The Blue Badge Scheme is designed to allow disabled residents to park closer to their destinations, thereby maintaining inclusivity and independence.  Inevitably, the misuse of blue badges means that people with disabilities may be prevented from parking in an accessible place.

“Our parking and fraud investigation teams are working collaboratively to raise awareness of this issue and to carry out intensive checks in a bid to deter the misuse of blue badges across the county borough.

“We really hope that this case demonstrates that the fraudulent use of blue badges will not be tolerated, and our teams are committed to addressing this problem.  We are working to support those residents who legitimately need blue badges to carry out their lives without car parking presenting an obstacle.”

#blueBadge #BridgendCountyBoroughCouncil #fraud #motoring #Pontardawe #Porthcawl

We now have to do a new application instead of renewing Blue Badges.
Lots of pages, too much stuff to type in, and the pages time out. They want all my meds, typed in one at a time (33 boxes), all my conditions and how they affect my mobility (24 if I leave out conditions that don't directly affect my mobility), all my walking/mobility aids and when/what I use them for (18), all my medical clinics/doctors etc, (18), and then questions I haven't even got to yet.
Some questions make no sense because they assume I only use one aid or have one condition that never fluctuates.
Why so many? Because each question opens another text box and another.
As if designed to make it harder for disabled people to complete the form.
There is an option to save after filling in a section. SoI did save it yesterday after entering over half the information.
Today it won't let me in, claims to have sent a code but nothing.
No resend option, only phone my council or start again.

#BlueBadge

Oh good.
The van in one of the disabled spaces at the gym (without a blue badge) has just got a council parking ticket.

#disabled #BlueBadge #parking

🚨 Misusing Blue Badges isn’t just unfair – it’s illegal! Northumberland County Council is cracking down on abuse to protect spaces for those who need them most. 💙💪 Report fraud & help keep parking accessible! 📞📋

Read more: https://bit.ly/BlueBadgeMisuse
#BlueBadge #AccessibilityMatters #Northumberland