Carers' permits are for residents who require constant help and care. These permits are particularly aimed at the elderly or disabled residents who rely on friends, family or professional carers visiting them on a regular basis.
Carers' permits are only available to residents who live within a controlled parking zone and who do not have a resident permit for the address at which they live.
How to apply for a carer permit
Permit application forms are available by from the Parking Shop and AccessPoint Catford. Or you can download and print them here.
Once you have filled in the form, take it in person or post it to the Parking Shop and along with a letter from the applicant’s doctor confirming that they rely on constant help and care at home. The Parking Shop will normally be able to issue the permit immediately.
You can also take your form and proofs to AccessPoint Catford. We cannot issue you with your permit here, but will send it to you in the post.
What is the carer permit?
Lewisham introduced the carer permit because we found during consultation on parking schemes in the borough that there were significant numbers of elderly or housebound (non-car-driving) residents who needed frequent visitors for medical reasons or to help with tasks like shopping, cooking and cleaning.
Carers' permits are £60 per year. They do not carry a specific registration number and can be used by any person caring for the resident. Use of the permit is restricted to four hours in any one day.
The Council realised that for these residents, many of whom may be on lower incomes, the cost of buying Visitor Permits at £1 or £2, possibly on a daily basis, would be unreasonably high. The Council therefore introduced the carer permit (at the same cost as a resident's permit).
Residents who have carer permits give the permit to their carer when they visit during the operating hours of the zone. The permit can be used for a maximum of four hours per day, and can be used for any vehicle as it does not carry a specific vehicle registration number, unlike a residents' permit.
Residents must ensure that the carer’s permit is returned to the resident after use to enable permit to be used by the next visitor. Lost or stolen permits will not be replaced.
Health worker permits
The health trust worker permit was introduced in 2003 for health workers providing specific domiciliary care at a charge of £100 per year per permit. These permits are applied for via the Primary Care Trust only. Individuals may not apply for this type of permit.
Doctor parking bays
A limited number of doctor parking places presently exist across the borough. A permit is required to park in these bays, issued to the doctor at a charge of £200 per year.