CARE workers visiting clients in their homes across Devon will soon be permitted to park for free on single and double yellow lines for up to an hour if alternative parking isn’t available.

Devon County Council’s Cabinet approved extending the Care Workers Parking Exemption Scheme on Wednesday, December 12.

Currently the scheme allows care workers, social care staff and health staff who use on-street parking while delivering essential services to residents in their own homes, to use a special permit.

This allows them to park on-street without time limit for free in limited waiting, on street pay and display and residents’ parking bays.

Once legal work has been completed and new permits issued, the extension will also allow them to park on roads with single and double yellow lines – but only if nearby alternative parking isn’t available.

In line with the existing exemption, carers will be required to display a permit and in addition a timeclock,  similar to those found on blue badges.

The proposals follow a recent online consultation. Of the 150 people who filled in the questionnaire, 89 per cent agreed that including yellow lines in the scheme would make their jobs easier and 80 per cent said it would help them care for their clients.

Almost 65 per cent said it would help them manage stress and most said that parking near their clients’ homes would help them feel safer if they were working alone.?It is expected that the change will come into force in the next financial year.

Councillor Stuart Hughes Devon County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Management said: “By providing the flexibility that care support workers need, it will make it easier for them to do their jobs.

“Since the present permit was launched many care workers have said that parking remains an issue and as a consequence I endorsed an extension to the scheme to include double and single yellow lines.

“Care workers and agencies will need to apply for an official two-part permit and parking will only be permitted if there is no nearby alternative.

"However we recognise the pressures the health and care sector is currently under and that’s why we will not charge for these permits.”

Councillor Andrew Leadbetter, Devon County Council’s Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health Services said: “We value care workers highly and we have made these changes because they have told us it will make their jobs easier and improve their access to clients living at home.

“It will reduce the pressure care workers feel when looking for parking, and help them to arrive at their appointments in good time, which will improve the service they can deliver to their clients and help them continue to live independently.”