Portsmouth getting more disabled car parking spaces as concerns over blue badge misuse dismissed
Approval has been granted to install 28 disabled parking bays across Portsmouth.
Twenty-three of the total have already been rolled out as there were no objections during the public consultation that was carried out by Portsmouth City Council between February and March.
However, the proposal to install disabled parking bays on Balliol Road and Hampshire Street in Fratton, Brompton Road in central Southsea, Gruneisen Road in Nelson, and Karen Avenue in Drayton received objections from residents and was subsequently brought to the cabinet for approval.
A resident said the Balliol Road application is “unfair” because the applicant has a work van, a people carrier, another vehicle, and only two people in the property drive.
They said: “They park two of their cars outside their house every day without fail as they constantly swap them over, so why they feel the need to have a bay put in, I honestly don’t know. We’ve lived here 19 years, and for the past year, we have not been able to park outside our house because of how selfish they have become.”
Other residents objected to Gruneisen Road, saying that multiple parking spaces outside the house are regularly used to maintain and fix numerous vehicles, creating noise and a nuisance.
This resident expressed that the disabled bay would be “abused” for the “sole purpose of fixing these vehicles”.
The person added: “The house occupants are often seen walking in the street and area and are therefore fully mobile and able to walk a decent distance. I feel, therefore, that his application is fraudulent.”
Despite the objections, the council approved the implementation of the bays.
Cllr Simon Bosher asked whether the council should investigate those comments and objections to see if the applications are legitimate.
Officers said that when a person applies for a disabled bay, the vehicle must be registered at the address. The council said that it does not have any criteria stating that blue badge holders can only use them in certain cars.
However, they said the two-step process involves applying and meeting the criteria. After approving the disabled bay, if concerns are raised and the council receives strong evidence, they will carry out an investigation.
“We obviously successfully prosecuted a number of people for abuse and misuse of blue badges. Many have been where the badges have been stolen, or people use them when they belong to someone who has passed away, and the badge hasn’t been returned.
“We are actually one of the leading authorities. We are applying to become a beacon authority for blue badge enforcement.”