If you hold a blue badge and park in Northampton town centre, something important is changing in April. Free parking in council car parks a concession that has helped disabled residents access their town for years is being removed. From the new financial year, blue badge holders will pay exactly the same rates as every other driver.
This article explains what is changing, what it will cost you, what rights you still have, and where to find help navigating the new landscape.
What Is Actually Changing?
West Northamptonshire Council approved its 2026/27 budget on February 26th. As part of that budget, the exemption that allowed blue badge holders to park free of charge in council-run car parks in Northampton town centre has been removed.
From April 2026, if you hold a blue badge and park in a council car park in central Northampton, you will pay the same hourly, daily, and weekend rates as any other driver. There is no reduced rate or concessionary tier the exemption is simply gone.
Dennis Meredith, a blue badge holder and former councillor, described himself as "horrified" by the decision.
How Much Will It Cost?
In Band A car parks the central Northampton locations closest to shops and services the new rates from April are:
| Duration |
New Charge (from April 2026) |
| 30 minutes |
£0.70 |
| 1 hour |
£1.40 |
| 2 hours |
£2.80 |
| 3 hours |
£4.20 |
| 4 hours |
£5.60 |
| All day (within ring road) |
£11.20 |
| Weekend (Sat, Sun, Bank Holidays) |
£3.00 flat charge |
Band A car parks include Albion Place, Campbell Square, Midsummer Meadow, Ridings, St John's Multi-Storey, Upper Mounts, and Wellington Street.
Band B and Band C car parks generally on or outside the ring road, including Commercial Street, Grosvenor Multi-Storey, Mayorhold Multi-Storey, Marefair, and Market Street -- see fewer weekday changes, though the weekend flat charge still applies across the board.
For a blue badge holder who previously parked free every week, this represents a new and ongoing cost simply to access their town centre.
What Blue Badge Rights Do You Still Have?
It is important to understand what has not changed, because your core blue badge rights remain intact.
Your blue badge still entitles you to park on single or double yellow lines for up to three hours in most locations across England. This is a national right set by the government and councils cannot remove it. You can still use designated disabled bays on public streets free of charge and without a time limit in most areas, unless a sign specifically states otherwise. You do not need to pay the London Congestion Charge if you are registered. Your badge travels with you and can be used in any vehicle you are a passenger or driver in.
What has changed is specifically the council car park exemption in Northampton. Nationally, the blue badge scheme has never automatically guaranteed free parking in off-street council car parks it has always been at each council's discretion. West Northamptonshire Council has now chosen to remove that discretion in Northampton town centre.
This means on-street parking with your badge remains as it was. It is the council car parks the covered, multi-storey, and surface car parks operated by WNC where you will now face charges.
Which Car Parks Are Affected and Which Streets Still Have Free On-Street Parking?
This is where it gets practical. Not all parking in Northampton is council car park parking. If you can find a suitable on-street disabled bay near your destination, your blue badge still gives you free, unlimited parking there.
The challenge for many disabled drivers is that on-street bays are limited, often occupied, and not always close enough to their destination. Council car parks have historically filled that gap and now that gap has a cost attached to it.
Knowing which streets near your destination have on-street disabled bays, what the time rules are on specific roads, and whether any restrictions apply is more important now than it was before the charges were introduced. The ATME app's AI Parking feature gives you street-level parking rules for any specific road in Northampton including disabled bay locations, time restrictions, and permit zone information so you can check before you leave rather than arriving and finding no on-street option near where you need to be.
Why Did the Council Remove the Exemption?
The council's position is that it is managing genuine financial pressure. The £464.3 million budget includes £29 million in required in-year savings to maintain current service levels. Council leader Mark Arnull described the budget as "grounded in reality" and focused on protecting frontline services.
The administration did partially listen to public pressure it reversed plans to introduce new parking charges in three other towns, Daventry, Towcester, and Brackley, after a record public consultation response. But Northampton, where charges already exist, received no such relief. The council said Northampton is "a different situation and is being treated as such accordingly."
Over 1,400 people signed a petition against the parking changes. Northampton South MP Mike Reader urged the council to reverse the decision at the full council meeting, calling parking "the biggest challenge that residents talk to you about."
The blue badge exemption removal was not the only change in the budget -- council tax is also rising 4.95% from April, taking the average Band D bill to £1,959.40. For disabled residents who are often on fixed or reduced incomes, the combination of higher council tax and new parking costs arriving together is a significant pressure.
What Can You Do?
Plan your parking before you travel. With on-street disabled bays now more valuable than before, knowing where they are near your destination makes a real practical difference. Use the ATME app's AI Parking feature to check street-by-street disabled bay availability and rules before you leave home. Download at atme.is/download.
Use on-street bays where possible. Your blue badge still gives you free, unlimited on-street parking in disabled bays. These rights have not changed. The key is knowing where the bays are and whether they are likely to have space.
Check Band B and C car parks first. Weekday charges in these outer car parks are largely unchanged and tend to be cheaper than Band A even for standard users. If your destination is accessible from a car park further from the centre, the cost may be lower.
Contact WNC directly if you have specific access concerns. If the removal of the exemption creates a genuine hardship or access barrier for you, West Northamptonshire Contact Council parking team . The opposition at WNC has signalled it will continue to challenge the administration on these changes, so this remains a live issue.
Keep your badge visible and up to date. With charges now applying, making sure your badge is displayed correctly matters more than before. An expired or incorrectly displayed badge in a council car park will now cost you both a fine and the parking charge.
Resources for Blue Badge Holders in Northampton
WNC parking information: https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/parking
National blue badge rights: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-blue-badge-scheme-rights-and-responsibilities-in-england/the-blue-badge-scheme-rights-and-responsibilities-in-england
Blue badge renewal: https://www.gov.uk/apply-blue-badge
Citizens Advice on blue badge parking: citizensadvice.org.uk
ATME AI Parking street-level rules and disabled bay locations: ATME
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this affect my on-street blue badge parking rights? No. Your right to park on yellow lines for up to three hours, and in on-street disabled bays free of charge, is a national right set by the government. West Northamptonshire Council cannot and has not changed this. Only the council car park exemption has been removed.
Which car parks in Northampton are affected? All council-run car parks in the town centre, including Band A sites - Albion Place, Campbell Square, Midsummer Meadow, Ridings, St John's Multi-Storey, Upper Mounts, and Wellington Street. Band B and C car parks see fewer weekday changes but the new weekend flat charge applies across the board.
When do the new charges start? April 2026, at the start of the new financial year.
Is there a reduced rate for blue badge holders under the new rules? No. The exemption has been removed entirely. Blue badge holders pay the same rates as all other drivers.
Does my blue badge exempt me from council tax increases? No. The 4.95% council tax increase also takes effect from April and applies to all residents regardless of disability status.
How do I find on-street disabled bays near a specific location in Northampton? The ATME app's AI Parking feature gives you street-level parking information including disabled bay locations and rules for any specific road. Download at ATME.
Can the decision be reversed? The budget passed 38 votes to 31. It would require a future council decision to change. The opposition has said it will continue to challenge the administration on parking charges.
This article will be updated as West Northamptonshire Council publishes further details on the April rollout.
