Next door neighbour asking daily for my parking space

Unless her DC is very severely disabled to a level well above that needed for a standard blue badge, she won’t get a disabled permit space for her specific use. The LA will mark out a standard bay but basically the rule is that as far as possible priority should be given to anyone with a blue badge - so basically anyone can park in it.

If her issues with parking are that serious, she needs to get onto the council to have a disabled bay put outside her home which is designated for her. She needs to stop hassling you and you need to very politely let her know this.

Dudes the Op hasn't been back since she started the thread. Shea probably not now.

You are not responsible for her not having a parking space much as you sympathise. She has taken a one off kindness and is manipulating you into what she wants by trying to make you feel guilty. Don't let her. Shut it down and say look I am sorry but I need the space do not ask me again! Stick by this and do not cave.

I think this storey has been picked up by a reporter, it popped up on something called the people on Google news.

She doesn't need to give a reason, "No", is a complete sentence.

It’s important to recognise the difference between a legally enforceable Blue Badge space, an individual disabled permit space, and an advisory space. A legally enforceable Blue Badge space is marked in yellow and has cross hatches to allow wider access to accommodate wheelchairs, and to open doors wider. These appear in car parks and in on street council provided pay and display car parks, and in various other places such as supermarket parking etc. They are legally enforceable - if no badge is displayed there is a fine of up to £100.

Local authorities will sometimes provide a dedicated permit disabled space for the sole use of an individual badge holder - normally where there is more profound disability. The user is required to display a permit and in many cases the Blue Badge as well. These spaces are usually provided outside, or near to the persons’ home and are marked in white with the words PERMIT and the permit number printed in white along the outer marked edge of the space. Only the dedicated user is allowed to use the space and anyone else parking there, regardless of whether they have a Blue Badge or not, risks a hefty fine and the car being towed.

An advisory space is one marked on the road in white. These are typical of the spaces Local Authorities provide at the request of residents.They are marked in white and have either a white disabled symbol in the centre, or the word DISABLED printed along the edge of the marking. These are advisory only and they are not for exclusive use of the person requesting one. Other Blue Badge holders can park in them, as can any non disabled motorist because they are ‘advisory’ which means that as far as possible they should be left empty for the use of those with a badge.

Just tell her no, you didn't mind at first but now it's excessive so you won't be moving your car again, and to stop asking.

Another poster keeps saying, that anyone can park in a disabled space, regardless it's for Blue Badge holders only.

Not sure the OP has a disabled space? She just said the space in front of her house

This. Just this. No other justification necessary. No is a complete sentence.

If her child is sufficiently disabled and she has a blue badge she could apply to the council for a Blue Badge bay outside her house. It wouldn’t stop other blue badge users parking in the space, but would appear to solve your problem.

As long as the space is marked in white it’s advisory only and not legally enforceable, so although you should leave these spaces available for BB holders as far as possible, none BB holders can park in them. So in a PP’s example upthread where the previous residents’ disabled space is still marked out, there’s nothing stopping the new resident, or anyone else parking in it.

The only exception to this are dedicated parking bays. DPB’s are only provided to profoundly disabled people and each one is exclusively for the sole use of the individual permit holder. They are marked in white and the word PERMIT along with the permit number is printed along the outer edge of the space. The user has to display the permit as well as the blue badge. They are rigorously enforced. If anyone else parks in one of these they are subject to a hefty fine and the car being towed.

They’ve left one as a courtesy probably. But it’s important to note that disabled bays marked in white are advisory only, so anyone can park in them - even without a blue badge. The only action the council may take is to remove them if it becomes clear BB holders are not being prioritised. So if l were the new resident l would either apply to have it removed or just park in it anyway.

Even if it marked with Disabled along the lines, plus signage saying Blue Badge only?

The on street spaces marked in white are advisory only and theoretically anyone can park in them, blue badge or not. Many councils won’t enforce them and it’s mainly left to residents and other motorists to police.

Tell your visitors to park on your neighbours grass verge! Or politely ask neighbour if they’d mind parking outside their own house!

Knocking on your door at 11pm is insane behaviour! I know that not everyone can but this is the exact reason we bought a house with a driveway. It is the only way you can guarantee your own parking space. Otherwise you just have to take your chance with on road parking and it’s a lottery. The lady next door doesn’t have a drive and has a small baby and parked across the road outside our house once (basically the closest she can park to her house) and someone complained on the village Facebook page that they had to park down the road (about 4 houses down so not that far!) as there was ‘no parking outside their house’. They do have a driveway.

Also, what happens when the people for whom the disabled spaces were primarily installed no longer live there?

We're fortunate to have a drive, but parking on our road for most of the houses is at a real premium. There were two houses with BB holders living there, so the council eventually came and painted two disabled spaces for them.

Very soon afterwards, one of the disabled residents moved away (I presume they must have been waiting for a long time for the space) and then, a year or so afterwards, the other BB holder resident also moved away.

For some reason, the council came and 'removed' (well, burned off the white paint) one of the spaces, but left the other. Now that space is still there, never occupied, whilst the people who live there now are having to find somewhere else on a different street to park.

The bays marked out on the street at the request of residents are only advisory. They are marked in white, and anyone with a valid blue badge can park in them. Many councils don’t police them at all, so theoretically anyone can park in them, with policing being left to other motorists and residents.

When DH was still working his space would be empty in the evenings he finished late at night. I’d get so anxious about people parking in it, particularly if it was icy out. His mobility is very limited. If he had to park more than a short distance away he’d have to get his scooter out, set it up and drive it to the door. Not something you want to do in the dark and cold when you are prone to falls. I’d always ask politely if they could move if I could. One woman shouted she had a badge. I pointed out there was a space directly outside the house she was visiting. If she parked by us she’d have to walk down the end of the road! It’s so much better now we have permit parking. Most people who park in it genuinely don’t notice the markings and are happy to move but I HATE asking. DH rarely goes out now so it’s not such an issue

You gave her one time (emergency) for free. Now she's taking the piss.
It would be a resounding NO.

I would just say, No, but do let me know how you get on with your disabled parking application, thanks queen 😉

@T1Dmama

I agree with your main points, but OP doesn't have a disabled bay outside her house: she is just finding a general free space on the road and using it.

The neighbour is then expecting OP to move her car potentially several streets away so that she can take the unrestricted space that OP had found and parked in instead.

The reason that the neigbour is giving for 'justifying' this is that she has a disabled DD. We don't know the extent of her disabilities, nor whether her DD is actually needing the car parked nearby everything her mum asks, or if the mum is just using it as a catch-all 'trump card' every single time she fancies a mire convenient space.

All we can really know is that either the DD's disabilities/needs don't/wouldn't qualify her for a blue badge, or otherwise her mum can't be bothered to apply for a disabled space. If the latter, maybe she has reckoned that any BB holder could use a space, if it were granted following her application; whereas at the moment, she sees OP's car as a placeholder for the space that she wants - and one that nobody else is realistically going to knock and ask her to move, ergo it's her exclusive space whenever she wants it, and OP can just get stuffed.

In my experience, people with / families of people with visible disabilities believe wholeheartedly that they are more entitled to disabled parking spots .. I think society in general has this belief… look how many posts there are on here about people with invisible disabilities being questioned when they park in a disabled bay!…. I suspect your neighbour has been whing for ages about her perceived injustice that you have an allocated spot and she doesn’t.. people have probably validated this belief & told her to ask you to give it up for her to use… she’s probably hoping that by asking daily you’d realise she needed it so much more than you do… and just park elsewhere.. unfortunately because you haven’t just said an outright no, and instead either moved your car or given an excuse, she’s taken this as further confirmation that she NEEDS that spot & even you can see it!!
Next time she calls you or knocks you door give a firm… No, I’m sorry but I NEED the spot, tell her you have a sore back from having to carry son when you park further away and that the parking bay is needed for your sons safety & convenience… tell her how you applied for the spot and tell her if she contacts the local council she too can apply. If she says anything to push back or says it’s a hassle, just say ‘yea I remember, and that’s why after all the effort to get this spot I really need to use it!!or a simple - I can see your struggle but I struggle too and need that spot!! Stop making excuses @Chocolatecoffeecream & just tell her that while your sons disability is invisible he’s been assessed as entitled to the parking bay and you’d appreciate her not inconveniencing you going forward!!
It is so rude to knock someone’s door late at night - did you allow her partner to move your car? I hope not! That really shows a level on entitlement to YOUR space!if you had a drive and she didn’t - would she be asking to park there… probably!
Be firmer! JUST SAY NO
IF you can’t then absolutely text her or pop a note through explaining that you applied for the bay and we’re assessed as having a need for it, you still need constant use of the space and while you were ok for her to use it on the first request believing it to be urgent, you have not been and are not happy with the further requests from her to move your car further away which ultimately is endangering you son! Again writing ‘you can apply for a parking spot outside your house through the council! …

she has seen your kindness as a weakness and is taking the piss!!
In future when someone asks for a favour in an emergency point out that you’re happy to help as it’s an emergency but that in normal circumstances they need to find an alternate solution

How has she managed all this time until recently?

Whilst I feel for her, sincerely, she can’t really expect you to move everytime can she?! Once im parked and in my house, there’s no way I’m moving my car daily for anyone.

Once in a while, sure, but not regularly.