Can a Blue Badge holder park in a parent and child parking space?

The answer to whether a disabled driver can park in a space allocated for a parent and child is by no means black and white.

The RAC says that while it isn’t illegal to park in a parent and child bay, if you don’t have a child under 12 with you, you could be hit with a Parking Charge Notice (PCN).

PCNs are the result of committing a parking offence while parking on private property and have their own rules and regulations to abide by.

But is there a nationwide policy? Both the Department of Transport and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said it was each other's responsibility and declined to comment.

The Police gave some clarity saying: "This will depend on the terms and conditions of the car park. If the car park is owned and operated by the local council, you would need to check with them to see if this is permitted. If the car park is privately owned e.g. a supermarket car park, you would need to check with the owner, as to whether this was allowed."

The Blue Badge specialist at my local council said: "We do not deal directly with parking; it will be different for every car park and we advise badge holders to check the board restrictions in each car park.

"Most parent and child spaces are in supermarkets, therefore it would be down to their discretion."

A call to Sainsbury's offered further guidance.

"I can confirm Blue Badge holders are permitted to use our Parent & Child bays if the disabled spaces are full.

"The vast majority of our customers are very considerate of parents with young children and respect family bays. If our parking attendants find these bays are being misused they will, in the first instance, ask the driver to move their car. If they refuse, they will be issued with a Parking Charge Notice."

The message is clear, to exercise caution and check with the owners of any car park in case they have a strict policy of only families parking in the parent and child spaces, in order to avoid getting a Parking Charge Notice. 

Common myths about parent and child bays dispelled

• Parent and child bays are a lifeline to parents struggling with the heavy car seats they are compelled by law to use – they need the wider bays in order to open their car doors wide enough to physically manhandle bulky car seats in and out, and with C-Sections becoming more prevalent, new mums may have recently gone through major abdominal surgery.
• Although many parents with grown children remember they coped just fine without Parent & Child parking, it's worth remembering that cars used to be smaller and bays less tight; car seats were less bulky, and not legally enforced.
• Many grandparents are now taking on more and more childcare duties. So it might be a grandma and grandad having to take exuberant grandchildren to the supermarket who need the extra space.
• The lack of clear regulations mean parents have to deal with people who don’t have children - as well as people who aren’t disabled - parking in their spots, so they might be quick to point it out if you don’t have children and shouldn’t (in their opinion) be parking there. However, if all the disabled spaces are taken and you calmly and politely point out your Blue Badge, that should go some way to diffusing the issue.