Hundreds fined for not displaying blue badge
BBCMore than 1,000 fines were issued by a council last year for the incorrect use of disabled parking spaces.
In 2024, Westmorland and Furness Council in Cumbria handed out 1,100 penalty charge notices (PCNs) for parking in a disabled person's designated on-street parking space without displaying a blue badge, a freedom of information (FOI) request found.
The Liberal Democrat-led authority also gave out 259 fines to people wrongly parking in an off-street disabled parking space.
A spokesperson for the council said: "It is vital that all motorists respect designated spaces for Blue Badge holders, ensuring they remain available for those who need them most."
Deputy leader of the council's Conservative group Matt Brereton said people should not abuse disabled parking spaces but added there was an "issue" around access to town centres.
"As much as we encourage people to leave the car at home, there's no way a slightly older person or anyone with lots of shopping or two young children is going to go in and out of town centre without the car," he said.
Brereton told the Local Democracy Reporting Service some of the car parks had bays that were "too narrow".
"One of the biggest issues we can solve at a stroke is to enhance the availability and accessibility of town centre parking," he added.
A spokesperson for Westmorland and Furness Council said it was "dedicated to keeping parking accessible for everyone" and that its officers issued PCNs where necessary "to address inappropriate parking".
It added: "Pass holders must also adhere to the terms and conditions of use to protect the integrity of the scheme, promoting fairness and accessibility for all."