Would you feel picked on if you had to make three journeys to renew a Blue Badge and then got a parking ticket?

Updated 17.1.2017 My wife received a letter stating that the parking ticket had been cancelled.

This is a tale of my wife’s dealings with Wirral Council over the past forty-eight hours.

Yesterday she went to the One Stop Shop in Conway Street, Birkenhead to renew her Blue Badge. Despite Wirral Council having proof on their records that she receives the high mobility component of DLA (which entitles her to a Blue Badge) the renewal was refused on two visits.

After she came home (upset) we both rang the Central Action and Duty Team (part of Wirral Council’s Social Services). After four minutes we were mysteriously cut off, so had to ring back and explain again. The person we were talking to said she would email the One Stop Shop and call us back.

We were called back at around 5.30 in the evening and it was suggested that she go back to the One Stop Shop today (which she did). She parked in the Oliver Street off-street car park displaying her Blue Badge.

While she was in the One Stop Shop (where her Blue Badge did get renewed at a cost to her of £10 (Wirral Council insisted they’d send it through the post)) at 10:19 am a civil enforcement officer (seemingly oblivious to her Blue Badge displayed) issued her with a Penalty Charge Notice allegedly for contravention code 40.

Contravention code 40 is for parking in an on-street disabled parking bay without displaying a valid disabled persons badge, where contravention code 87 is the one that should be used for off-street car parks.

It’s physically impossible for a car that the PCN states is in an off-street car park to be at the same time parked in an on street bay.

When asked for comment Wirral Council’s press office stated, “we can’t comment”.

However Leonora Brace said, “I don’t want them [Wirral Council] picking on me.”

So, there you go, has Wirral Council’s attitude changed? Are disabled adults just a cash cow to them? Or am I just getting angry because it’s my wife that they’re managing to upset? Or is this just as Wirral Council would put it, an example of a “private sector head with a public sector heart”?

Updated 15.1.2017 9 days after an appeal was submitted Wirral Council have been in touch on the 13.1.2017 stating that the case has been put on hold, will not progress further until a decision is made, but due to the high volumes of challenges this may take up to 4 weeks.

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