Wigan Council bucks trend on blue badges for non-visible disabilities

However, the town hall has fewer disabled parking bays in its car parks than some other local authorities.
Wigan Council is bucking a national trend for issuing blue badgesWigan Council is bucking a national trend for issuing blue badges
Wigan Council is bucking a national trend for issuing blue badges

The BBC Shared Data Unit revealed found the local authority had approved 5.8 per cent more requests for disabilities such as autism, dementia and anxiety than it had for physical ailments since the end of August 2019.

This is a dramatic contrast to elsewhere in the country.

Wigan was one of just 17 local authorities able to provide a breakdown of blue badge issuing which gave more to non-visible disabilities than to physical ones.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Lesley O’Halloran, director for customer services and culture at Wigan Council, said: “Blue badges are a huge help to disabled people to get out and about and are a massive asset for many.

"New rules that came into effect last year were to ensure people with non-visible disabilities were better supported and the data shows how well we have responded to the changes.

"Any request is checked thoroughly to ensure the right people get the help they need as there is a minority of people who might want to illegally abuse the system.”

However, just 2.49 per cent of council-owned parking bays in the borough are designated as disabled.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Department for Transport guidance says five per cent of street parking should be set aside for blue badge holders while between two and six per cent of car park spaces should be for disabled motorists.

However, these figures alone do not indicate a lack of disabled parking in Wigan as it does not take into account how many spaces are on privately-owned car parks.

If you value what we do and are able to support us, a digital subscription is just £1 for your first month. Try us today by clicking here and viewing our offers.