The Cheshire East Blue Badge Scheme

What is the Blue Badge Scheme?

The Blue Badge Scheme is a national arrangement of parking concessions for people with severe walking difficulties who travel either as drivers or passengers. The scheme also applies to people who are registered blind or severely sight impaired, and people with very severe disabilities in both arms who regularly drive a vehicle but cannot operate or have considerable difficulty in operating all or some types of parking meter. It allows badge holders to park close to their destination, but the national concessions apply only to on-street parking.

Where are the Blue Badge Parking Bays?

The DirectGov website contains an interactive map finding parking bays in 64 major towns and cities in the UK.

Do I qualify for a Blue Badge?

If any of the following apply to you then you will qualify for the Blue Badge Scheme:

Automatic eligibility without further assessment includes:

• People who receive the higher rate of the mobility component of Disability Living Allowance.
• People who are registered blind or severely sight impaired.
• People who receive War Pensioners' Mobility Supplement.
• People with a severe disability in both arms who regularly drive a vehicle but cannot operate or have considerable difficulty in operating all or some types of parking meter.
• People who are over the age of 80 and have had a Blue Badge before.
• People who are over the age of 90.

Assessed eligibility with further assessment:

You may qualify for the Blue Badge scheme under the assessed eligibility category if you have permanent and substantial disability which means you are unable to walk or have very considerable difficulty in walking. In these cases, you need to download the application form. See Applying for a Blue Car Badge to access the form.

Children under two years of age qualify for a badge if they have a condition that requires they must always be accompanied by bulky medical equipment and/or that have a highly unstable medical condition and need quick access to transport to hospital or home. Organisations caring for disabled people meeting one or more of the above criteria may be able to get a badge.

People with a psychological disorder will not normally qualify unless their impairment causes very considerable, and not intermittent, difficulty in walking.

How to Apply

• Applying for a Blue Car Badge.

Once you have printed out the completed form, signit and return it to us at the address below. Make sure you run through the Blue Car Badge checklist before you send it – this will ensure there are no delays in processing your application.

If you are unable to access the online versions (available via Applying for a Blue Car Badge), call us on 0300 123 5020 we can arrange to have a copy of the form sent to you.

Send your completed application form to:

Cheshire East Council
PO Box 314
Middlewich
CW7 9EJ

Checklist

Before you send your application to us, please check that you have:

1. Signed the Application Form
2. Enclosed 2 passport sized photographs
3. Enclosed a cheque or postal order payable to “Cheshire East Borough Council” for £2

Remember – it will take up to 4 weeks to process your application on receipt, and we will inform you of the outcome as soon as possible.

Lost or Stolen Badges

If you need a replacement badge because your badge has been lost or stolen DO NOT complete an application form.  You must report the loss or theft to the Police (Cheshire Police: 0845 458 0000) and they will provide you with either a crime or loss reference number.  You then need to write to us telling us what happened and include the relevant Police reference number, 1 passport sized photograph, a cheque/postal order for £2 (made payable to Cheshire East Borough Council) and finally don’t forget to sign the letter.  Then send it to:

Cheshire East Council
PO Box 314
Middlewich
CW7 9EJ

Frequently Asked Questions

• What concessions are available for motorists displaying the badge?
  Parking concessions apply only to on-street parking and include free use of parking meters and pay-and-display bays. The scheme does not automatically apply to off-street car parks or on private roads. Badge holders may also be exempt from limits on parking times and may be able to park for up to three hours on single and double yellow lines as long as they are not causing an obstruction. More comprehensive details on usage of the badge in England are available in the Department for Transport booklet “The Blue Badge scheme booklet (PDF, 938KB): rights and responsibilities in England”, which is available online. Links to guidelines for usage in other areas of the United Kingdom are available on the Directgov website.
• Do I automatically qualify for a badge?
  You are automatically eligible, upon application, for a badge if you meet one of the following criteria:
  - you receive the higher rate of the mobility component of Disability Living Allowance,
  -you are registered blind or severely sight impaired,
  -you receive War Pensioners' Mobility Supplement,
  -you have severe disability in both arms who regularly drive a vehicle but cannot operate or have considerable difficulty in operating all or some types of parking meter,
  -you are over the age of 90, or
  -you are over the age of 80 and have had a Blue Badge before.
• If I have a disability, but do not meet one of the automatic eligibility criteria, will I still qualify for a badge?
  If you have a permanent and substantial disability that prevents you from walking, or makes walking very difficult, you may be eligible for a badge upon completion of an application form and the completion of an assessment by your GP.
  Children under two years of age qualify for a badge if they have a condition that requires they must always be accompanied by bulky medical equipment and/or that have a highly unstable medical condition that necessitates quick access to transport to hospital or home.
  In these cases, you need to download the application form. See Applying for a Blue Car Badge to access this form.
  Organisations, such as care homes, caring for disabled people meeting one or more of the above criteria may be able to get a badge, to receive an application form for an organisational blue badge, contact the Blue Badge team on 0300 123 5020.
  People with a psychological disorder will not normally qualify unless their impairment causes very considerable, and not intermittent, difficulty in walking.
• How do I apply for an organisational badge?
  Organisations, such as care homes, caring for disabled people meeting one or more of the above criteria may be able to get a badge, to receive an application form for an organisational blue badge, contact the Blue Badge team on 0300 123 5020. Do not use the application form on this webpage.
• Where do I go to apply for or renew a disabled car badge?
  Download the form and return them to us at the following address. Alternatively, phone 0300 123 5020 to request a copy of the forms be sent out to you. Your local social services Access Team office will also have copies of the form available for you to collect.
• I want to bring my form in – whereabouts is your office?
  Unfortunately we do not accept application forms returned to our office in person, you need to post it to us at the following address:
  
  Cheshire East Council
  PO Box 314
  Middlewich
  CW7 9EJ
  
  
• How many photos do you need?
  Two passport-sized photos need to be supplied, they do not need to be taken in a photo-booth, but they must be roughly the same dimensions as a passport-style photograph and must clearly show your face.
• How much do I need to pay and who should the cheque be made payable to?
  You must include a £2 cheque or postal order payable to “Cheshire East Borough Council” with your application form. If you are not eligible for a badge, we will return the payment to you.
• It says on the application form that I need to send evidence of something – do you accept photocopies or do I need to send the original?
  A photocopy of the evidence is acceptable – and we will return all original or photocopied evidence you supply in support of your application.
• If the person applying for the badge can not sign the form and signature card, can I sign it for them?
  If the applicant is under 18 the signature should be that of a parent or guardian. If an adult can not sign, someone with power of attorney must sign the badge – and evidence of the signatory’s power of attorney must be included with the application. In signing the form this person takes responsibility for the appropriate use of the badge.
• Can I have a duplicate badge to keep in my partner’s car?
  No, only one badge per person is ever issued.
• Do I have to fill in a form when I only want a renewal?
  Yes, we need to receive new application forms every 3 years should you wish to re-apply for a badge.
• I wanted a form for renewal but this one seems to be for a new application.
  The same form is used regardless of if you have been issued a badge previously.
• Can I use my Blue Badge in Europe?
  Blue disabled parking badges are recognised in most European countries, including all member states of the European Union. When displayed on the dashboard, you are entitled to the same parking concessions as that country’s own citizens with disabilities – the AA produce a booklet called "Using the Blue Badge in 29 countries" that details these concessions and participating countries.
• Where can I find additional information on the scheme?
  The blue badges scheme is a national scheme, administered by local authorities, but with guidelines set by the government. Two booklets providing further information on eligibility for badges (PDF, 938KB) and the concessions available for motorists (PDF, 1.85MB) displaying the badge are available online from the Department for Transport.
  
  More general information is available from DirectGov – the government’s website – including a Blue Badge Map showing parking concessions across the UK.

Further Help

The Blue Badge Scheme is governed by the Department for Transport within the UK and you can visit their website for further information. Within Cheshire East, Blue Badges are issued by the Customer Services Team.

Department for Transport - Blue Badge Scheme 

You can contact the Blue Badge Team on 0300 123 5020.