Thurrock Blue Badge and Accessible Parking: How to Apply and Where Badge Holders Can Park

This guide covers the Blue Badge scheme as Thurrock Council describes it. It is a national scheme set by the Department for Transport, which the council administers and enforces, so use the links below for your own situation.

How do I apply?

The council's applying page says to apply online on the government's GOV.UK service. It says:

• the cost is £10, charged only if your application is successful, and once a badge is paid for and ordered it arrives within 14 days
• you provide a passport-standard photo, proof of entitlement or medical evidence, proof of residence dated within the last three months and proof of identity
• medical evidence cannot come solely from your GP, though if you do not automatically qualify you can add recent medical evidence to support your application
• the Blue Badge team is at Thurrock Council, Civic Offices, New Road, Grays, RM17 6SL, email blue.badges@thurrock.gov.uk

For renewals, the renewing page says to apply before your badge expires and suggests two months before, and that you must submit proof of eligibility again.

Who is eligible?

The council's eligibility page says applicants must have an enduring and substantial disability lasting, or expected to last, at least three years. You automatically qualify if you are aged three or over and:

• get the higher rate mobility component of Disability Living Allowance
• get Personal Independence Payment with a score of 8 points or more under moving around
• are registered blind, or severely sight impaired
• get a War Pensioners' Mobility Supplement
• have an Armed Forces and Reserve Forces (Compensation) Scheme lump sum within tariff levels 1 to 8 with a certified permanent and substantial disability
• get the mobility component of PIP with 10 points for descriptor E on planning and following journeys

You may also be eligible if, for example, you cannot walk or find it very difficult, have a severe disability in both arms and drive regularly but cannot use pay-and-display machines, or have a child under three with a qualifying medical condition. The council may ask you to an independent mobility assessment of about 30 minutes at the Civic Offices, Grays, with an occupational therapist. Organisations can apply for up to three badges.

Where can I park with a Blue Badge?

The council's parking with a Blue Badge page says that if you clearly display a valid badge you can park free, for as long as you need, in:

• any Thurrock Council car park bay, except at Cromwell Road car park in Grays
• a free short stay bay or a pay and display bay
• a permit holder bay, or a shared use bay for permit holders and pay and display
• a disabled person's parking bay with no maximum stay

With the clock showing your arrival time, you can also park on single or double yellow lines for up to three hours when there are no loading restrictions, and in a disabled bay with a maximum stay. For which car parks the council runs, including Grays, Corringham, Chadwell St Mary and South Ockendon, see our parking guide.

You cannot park with a badge on yellow lines with loading restrictions, in suspended bays, loading bays, bus bays, motorcycle bays, doctor or police bays, EV charging bays unless signs say otherwise, where school keep clear restrictions apply, or on bus stop or taxi rank clearways marked with a yellow no stopping sign.

Private car parks set their own rules. Lakeside Shopping Centre says it has dedicated disabled bays in its car parks, with step-free access to the centre, on its plan your visit page; for more see our shopping guide.

What are the rules on using a badge?

The council's use and misuse page says badges are issued only in the name of the eligible person, not relatives or carers. You must be a passenger or driver of the vehicle whenever it is displayed, cannot use it if you stay in the vehicle while a passenger leaves, cannot let anyone else use it including carers on your behalf, and cannot use it when out of date or if the information is wrong or faded.