Issue - meetings

[Report of the Director of Environment and Neighbourhoods. To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods.]

This report sets out the case for Dedicated Disabled bays and the introduction of a formal appeals process for rejected disabled bay applications.  This report also informs Cabinet of changes to the Disabled Blue Badge Scheme.

The Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods introduced the report which sought approval to: the introduction of Dedicated Disabled Parking Bays in the borough, a change in eligibility criteria for Disabled Parking Bays and introduction of an appeals process for unsuccessful Disabled Parking Bay applications.

The Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods thanked disabled residents who had made representations and had drawn attention to the inequalities of current policies for disabled parking in the borough and also for their participation in the Scrutiny Review of blue badges, underlining the right of disabled residents to live life as independently as possible.

The Cabinet Member gave assurance that the report and its recommendations were the first steps to taking forward these changes, acknowledging that there was still more for the Council to do, to ensure the policies were as fair and accessible as possible. Councillors would continue to consider evidence and best practice at Scrutiny on: implementing the policy on dedicated disabled bays, the change in eligibility criteria for disabled parking bays and the proposed appeals process.

The Cabinet Member continued to draw attention to the change in the Disabled Bay eligibility criteria which would contain a mobility assessment, meaning that entitlement criteria would not solely consider disabled residents that were accessing disabled benefits. This would help resolve the discriminatory element of the scheme.

Furthermore, the introduction of dedicated disabled bays would allow disabled residents with existing disabled parking bays to convert them into dedicated bays. These changes would help disabled residents better access their homes and their independence.  At the  moment some  disabled residents living near  local amenities or  train stations  were  encountering daily issues accessing their homes , medications and  toilet facilities, if their bay was in use. Therefore, the introduction of these dedicated bays would have life changing effects. Disabled residents with an existing allocated bay would be prioritised and would need to resubmit their application as part of the ‘Opt in’ approach described in the report. This change would also mean that future new applications for a disabled parking bay would allow installation of a dedicated bay outside the resident’s home or work place for sole use by them.

The changes to these policies took account of Blue badge holders being able to park for free in the borough as  dedicated bays were felt to be vital for disabled people with access issues to their home.

The Cabinet Member further expressed that it was important that an appeals process be created for rejected disabled bay applications and it was expected that this appeals process would replicate the process for rejected blue badge applications.

Also changes to the blue badge scheme, as outlined in paragraph 6.1.6, would also need to be taken forward to encompass changes required by the DFE on hidden disabilities.

The Cabinet Member continued to thank officers who had worked hard to re-profile the Highways budget allowing these proposals to come forward and to include a dedicated officer allocated to implementing these policy changes. She further thanked the Environment and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9