BRIDGEND COUNTY BOROUGH COUNCIL
REPORT TO CABINET
21 FEBRUARY 2012
REPORT OF THE CORPORATE DIRECTOR - WELLBEING
WALES GOVERNMENT REFORM OF BLUE BADGE SCHEME
1. Purpose of Report .
1.1 To update Cabinet on the impact of the Wales Government Reform of the Blue Badge Scheme and its effects on the operation of the scheme by the Council for the residents of Bridgend County Borough.
2. Connection to Corporate Improvement Plan / Other Corporate Priority.
2.1 The provision of Blue Badges contributes to a number of the community strategy priorities, in particular:
· Healthy Living
· Strong Communities
· Young Voices
3. Background.
3.1 In 2010, the Welsh Government gave notice of its intent to comprehensively reform the Blue Badge scheme over a phased period of five years with the purpose of creating a fairer and more consistent scheme.
3.2 In 2011, the Welsh Government announced that the eligibility of the Blue Badge scheme would be extended to parents of children under three years old with specific medical conditions, people with disabilities in both arms and severely injured armed forces personnel and veterans.
3.3 Through the process of reform, the Welsh Government will continue to introduce changes to the scheme that will need to be implemented by Welsh local authorities. Other aspects of the reforms include:
· Introducing an improved IT system to administer the Blue Badge scheme, including the production of Blue Badges on behalf of local authorities in Wales
· A newly designed secure Blue Badge
· Changing the Blue Badge fee
· Giving local authorities additional powers to reduce fraud and tackle misuse
3.4 Since the implementation of the Blue Badge Scheme in the UK in July 2000, the charge has been set nationally and has remained at £2 for each badge issued.
3.5 The Council currently issues in the region of 4,500 badges per year.
4. Current situation / proposal.
4.1 A new badge design has been agreed nationally in the UK, and is being introduced in 2012 in Wales, England and Scotland. The introduction date for the new badge into Scotland and England is January 1st, and it has recently been confirmed, that the new arrangements will be implemented in Wales from April 1st 2012.
4.2 The new Blue Badge design requires that the badge will be printed to PVC and will incorporate a range of approved criteria that includes hologram images and background printing, and therefore specialist printers will be required.
4.3 The Welsh Government has joined the Department for Transport and Scottish Government in tendering for a company that will produce the newly designed secure blue badge. The badges will be made available via a dedicated IT system to all participating local authorities. This database is designed to provide for the National Blue Badge database that can be used to assist the enforcement of legislation intended to prevent the misuse and fraud that is often associated with the Blue Badge scheme. The creation of the national database means that following the issue of any new designed badge, all enforcement officers in the UK will be able to use a national contact number to confirm new badge details irrespective of the issuing authority.
4.4 Northgate Public Services are the company that were successful through the tendering process, and will therefore be producing the new badge on request by local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales. The standard charge to each local authority in Wales will be £4.85 (which includes second class postage and a wallet style clock), for every badge requested. The administrative processes of application and assessment will remain with each individual local authority
4.5 Whilst local authorities are given the opportunity to produce the badges locally, it is advised by the Wales Government that it will not be cost effective due to the required investment into the necessary printers and related consumable costs. Therefore it is considered appropriate that this Council signs up to the Access Agreement that will in effect register Bridgend as a participating authority in purchasing the required production of Blue Badges from Northgate Public Services.
4.6 The Welsh Government announced in December 2011, that as from 1st April individual badge holders will no longer be charged for their Blue Badge in Wales.
4.6.1 However, Welsh local authorities will be able to charge up to £10 per badge to organisations and for replacement badges. The Welsh Government will issue further guidance on this in due course to help local authorities to develop clear policies as to when they will be charging for replacement badges.
4.7 To compensate local authorities for additional costs of these national developments, Welsh Government is providing additional funding which, for 2012/13, will be in the form of a grant payment. Across Wales the total funding is £420,000 and this has been based on the number of Blue Badges in circulation on 31 March 2011 as reported by local authorities. Following discussions with the Welsh Local Government Association, this grant will be allocated on the same basis as the personal social services revenue support grant formula. The BCBC allocation is £18,546 for 2012/13.
4.8 Based on 4,500 new badges per annum, there will be a net additional cost to the Council of just over £8,000 as set out below:
£4,500 Badges at £4.85 / 21,825
Loss of income from £2 charge / 9,000
Less Savings on direct costs of issuing current Badges (consumables and postage) / (4,050)
Net Costs / 26, 775
Less Grant / (18,546)
Net Additional Costs / 8,229
The above figures assume at this stage that the current time spent in administering the service will need to be maintained for the new arrangements. The additional cost may be offset to a small degree by charges for organisational and replacement badges.
4.9 There are other aspects of reform that the Welsh Government is currently considering. For example it is expected that during the summer in 2012, the Welsh Government will issue best practice guidance to local authorities suggesting the best methods of assessing Blue Badge applications against the national criteria. Consequently, such guidance will enable this authority to consider whether there is a need to change current assessment processes, which is largely dependent on GP involvement for those Blue Badge applications that are commonly referred to as “discretionary”.
5. Effect upon Policy Framework and Procedure Rules.
5.1 There is no impact on the policy framework and procedure rules.
6. Equality Impact Assessment
6.1 A screening for equality impact has been undertaken there is no evidence that the Blue Badge reforms will have any negative impact on how the authority complies with its duties relating to equalities.
7. Financial Implications.
7.1 The Financial implications are set out in paragraphs 4.6 to 4.8 of this report. The additional costs identified will need to be met from within the allocated Adult Social Care budget for 2012/13.
8. Recommendation.
It is recommended that Cabinet:
8.1 Acknowledges the changes to the Blue Badge scheme being pursued and progressively introduced by the Wales Government.
8.2 Approves the decision for Bridgend to purchase the new style badge from the nationally contracted supplier Northgate Public Services, and the signing of the required Access Agreement that enters the Council into the Contract with Northgate Public Services subject to conditions of the Agreement being approved by the Corporate Director – Wellbeing.
Abigail Harris
Corporate Director - Wellbeing
February 2012
9. Contact Officer: Stephen Davies
Telephone: (01656) 642259
Email:
10 Background documents:
Equality Impact screening
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