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24
Sept
North Yorkshire Council pledges to ‘clamp down’ on Blue Badge misuse claims
North Yorkshire Council has pledged to investigate any claims of Blue Badge fraud reported across the local area.
Paul Slowey, from the Blue Badge Fraud Investigation (BBFI) agency, last week told BBC News the organisation was confiscating “more fake badges than ever before”.
He also said the Blue Badge scheme, which was introduced in 1971 and allows disabled drivers – or people who drive their cars for them – to park closer to their destination, was being “thoroughly abused”.
Blue Badge holders are entitled to free parking in pay-and-display zones and on double-yellow lines. They can also park in designated disabled spaces.
But fraudsters make and distribute counterfeit versions of the badges, and some people display the badge when the entitled holder is not in the vehicle.
The Stray Ferret wanted to find out if Blue Badge misuse is an issue in the Harrogate district, so we approached the Conservative-led council for more information.
Cllr Malcolm Taylor, the Conservative executive member for highways and transportation, said:
We are currently undertaking a review of parking services across North Yorkshire and, once concluded, plan to step up our enforcement in this area.
Blue Badges are a lifeline for people with disabilities, and we will investigate any claims of misuse that are presented to us.
Using a Blue Badge that doesn’t belong to you, lending it to a friend, or continuing to use one after it’s expired is fraud and we will not hesitate to use the powers at our disposal to clamp down where it is discovered.
A Blue Badge permit
'It's an issue all over the country'
The Stray Ferret also contacted Disability Action Yorkshire, a Harrogate-based disability charity.
Chief executive Jackie Snape told us:
It’s an issue all over the country, and we know of instances [locally] where people are using them that shouldn’t be.
People are creating fake Blue Badges by using AI or buying them on social media, Ms Snape said.
She added some authorised holders had resorted to locking their Blue Badges to the steering wheel to prevent thieves from breaking in and stealing them.
The government has also said it will roll out nationwide enforcement initiatives to address Blue Badge misuse.
The charity Disabled Motoring UK has urged people to contact their local authorities to report allegations of Blue Badge fraud, but Ms Snape raised concerns over how it can be monitored.
She said:
Not all disabilities are visible and, in order to check a Blue Badge belongs to the person, they need to be in the car.
The Stray Ferret has submitted a freedom of information request to North Yorkshire Council to ask how many Blue Badges have been distributed across the Harrogate district since January 2024.
We also asked how many reports of Blue Badge misuse have been recorded over the same period.
We will publish the response once we have received it.
The blue badge parking area outside the Royal Hall, which has since been removed.
Lack of disabled parking locally
Ms Snape also raised concerns about the amount of disabled parking provision in Harrogate.
The council's parking review is considering no longer allowing Blue Badge holders to park for free in off-street car parks.
Ms Snape told the Stray Ferret:
Parking for disabled people is an issue anyway; people use [disabled spaces] when they don’t have a Blue Badge at all. It’s a shame that people feel the need to do it.
Disabled people are unable to park where they need to park.
Some of the parking also isn’t in the right place.
As reported by the Stray Ferret, disabled parking bays outside the Royal Hall in Harrogate were removed in June.
The move came after Martyn’s Law – a legislation named after Martyn Hett, who was one of 22 people killed in the Manchester Arena terror attack in 2017 – was passed under the Terrorism Act.
People with Blue Badge permits had previously been able to park at the front of the hall, which is part of Harrogate Convention Centre.
At the time, Cllr Carl Les, leader of the council, said the move was necessary to comply with requirements in the Terrorism Act.
He added the arrangement outside the Royal Hall had been “informal” and that the areas also played “an important role in providing safe exit in the event of an emergency”.
People are now expected to park at the Jubilee Car Park on Union Street, which Ms Snape said is “impossible for a lot of people”.
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