BRADFORD Council said it understands the wait for blue badges can be "frustrating" following one resident's claim to still not have one - five months after applying.

Latest figures show more than one in 22 people in England have a disabled parking badge.

There were 2.57 million (4.6 per cent) valid blue badges at the end of March last year, analysis of Department for Transport (DfT) data by the PA news agency and the RAC Foundation found.

The eligibility criteria for blue badges was extended in 2019 to include people with non-visible disabilities such as Parkinson’s, dementia, and epilepsy.

Bradford Council said it is now receiving more applications than ever as a result of this. 

The council added that it "strive(s) to deal with the majority of applications" within the Government guideline timeframe of 12 weeks.

A Bradford Council spokesperson said: “The Government guideline is that applications are dealt with within a 12-week-period and we strive to deal with the majority of applications within this timeframe.

"However, the number of applications we are receiving has increased over the last five years due to a number of factors including changes in eligibility criteria, so we are receiving more applications than we ever have.

"We understand the wait can be frustrating for residents and we have introduced some changes recently to release capacity which should reduce the timescales taken to process the outstanding applications.

“We would ask the reader who has been waiting for five months to get in touch with us so we can look into their application.”

Blue badges, which must be renewed every three years, help people with disabilities or health conditions access shops and services by enabling them to park closer to their destination.

Depending on the location, they often enable holders to park free of charge in pay-and-display bays and for up to three hours on single and double yellow lines.

Speaking earlier this year, Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said: “The number of blue badges now issued reflects their value to disabled people and their families in enabling them to enjoy anything like the convenience and mobility the rest of us probably take for granted.

“Anyone grumbling about the number of parking spaces reserved for blue badge holders or, worse, simply disregarding the rules, would do well to remember that one day it could be them struggling to make everyday trips.”