A 31-year-old disabled woman has described feeling like a prisoner in her own South London flat due to a dispute over visitor parking for those who help her leave her home.
Promises Broken and Parking Tickets
Emily Martins, who uses a manual wheelchair, moved into Venture House, part of the new Swandon Gardens development in Wandsworth, after being reassured by her landlord, PA Housing, that she would have access to parking.
She relies on her mother, who uses a mobility car, to assist with daily tasks, cleaning, and transportation to vital appointments like hospital visits. However, the affordable housing block does not have a general car park, unlike other buildings in the development.
There are ten disabled parking bays, but none are reserved for visitors. When her mother uses one of these bays to pick up or drop off Emily, she is repeatedly hit with parking tickets.
A System That Doesn't Work
Emily applied for a resident parking permit but was denied because the car is not registered to her address—a logical impossibility as she cannot drive it herself.
"I can't enjoy [my flat]," Emily told the Local Democracy Reporting Service. "I can't have my friends, I can't have my family over and when they come they say to me, 'I got a parking ticket again'. Even putting me in the car you get a parking ticket, it doesn't make sense. A Blue Badge means nothing here."
The issue has severely impacted her independence and mental health, leaving her isolated. She highlighted the broader problem, stating, "It doesn't make sense, why would they put disabled people in a block that doesn't have parking?"
Landlord's Response and Glimmer of Hope
Sally-Anne Underhill, PA Housing's Director of Neighbourhoods and Customer Services, acknowledged the significant parking challenges faced by residents in London.
She expressed sympathy for Emily's situation and confirmed the housing association has been in regular contact with her.
Ms Underhill explained that the ten disabled bays are allocated to residents who are registered disabled and own a vehicle, which currently prevents issuing a permit to Emily.
However, she offered a potential solution, stating: "We remain committed to ensuring fair access to parking for our disabled residents and their visitors, so when a space next becomes available, we will review and explore whether a bay can be allocated as a visitors' space to support Emily and others in similar circumstances."
For now, Emily remains trapped, waiting for a resolution that would allow her to simply have visitors and leave her home without the fear of a parking fine.
