Statement by Ron Tindall, Lib Dem spokesperson on Adult Care Services

After being alerted to poor customer service by the team in charge of blue badge applications, I have been asking questions at Council meetings and found some even more shocking news.

Last Tuesday I was told that the average delay in issuing a replacement or new blue badge so disabled people can park in more accessible locations is now up to two months! Initially the delay was due to a backlog of applications being dealt with by the County Council. The new excuse is that the Department of Transport are slow at issuing the new badges.

The expectation is that there will continue to be a four to six weeks delay even when the current high volume decreases. Therefore, when renewing blue badges, it is advisable to submit applications at least eight weeks before the old badge runs out of date.

I have contacted the Director of Adult Care Services the County Council to ask her to speak to other Councils and ask them to not penalise disabled people who get a parking ticket because of the unacceptable delay in issuing them with a new blue badge