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Ilkley car park sees highest disabled bay fines in the district

Ilkley's South Hawksworth Street car park

New data has revealed that users of Ilkley's South Hawksworth Street Car Park received the most fines in the Bradford district for parking in disabled bays without a valid Blue Badge.

The figures, obtained via a Freedom of Information (FOI) request by Evans Halshaw, show that 23,640 fines were issued by Bradford Council between 2019 and 2024 for misuse of disabled parking spaces.

A location breakdown of offences was also provided, with the highest number recorded at Ilkley's main car park.

The top 5 locations and fines are:

  • South Hawksworth Street Car Park – 296 fines

  • Crown Court Car Park – 287 fines

  • Keighley Leisure Centre – 248 fines

  • Market Place Car Park – 200 fines

  • Sedbergh Car Park – 159 fines

Here’s how the number of fines has varied year-on-year:

  • 2019: 4,549 

  • 2020: 2,999 (-34.1%)

  • 2021: 3,444(+14.8%)

  • 2022: 4,024 (+16.8%)

  • 2023: 4,531 (+12.6%)

  • 2024: 4,093 (-9.7%)

Julie Wallman, Evans Halshaw Divisional Marketing Director, commented:

“Disabled parking bays exist to ensure safe and accessible travel for people with limited mobility, whether they’re heading to a supermarket, medical appointment, or just going about their day.

“When drivers use these spaces without a Blue Badge, it reduces availability for those who genuinely need them.

“These figures show just how common this issue is across Bradford and the rest of the UK, and highlight the importance of keeping accessible spaces available, particularly as more people rely on mobility solutions to support independent living.”

Data source: Freedom of Information request submitted to Bradford Council in June 2025. Period covered: 01 January 2019 to 31 December 2024.

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