Northamptonshire County Council to stop renewal notices for blue badge holders to save £17k on postage

The move is part of cost saving measures as the council continues to meet its ongoing financial challenges.

As before, responsibility for the renewal was with the badge holder, with the expiry date for each badge clearly written on the badge itself.

Councillor Ian Morris, the county council cabinet member for transport, highways and environment, said: “The ongoing financial challenges that the county council faces means that we are constantly looking at new ways in which we can save money.

“The expiry date on the blue badges is very clear and so it would be very obvious when a renewal date was approaching.

“There is a significant cost to posting reminders to so many people and in these difficult financial times it makes sense.”

Customers are advised to start the application process for a new badge about eight weeks before the expiry date, Northamptonshire County Council says.

The Blue Badge costs £10 and usually lasts for three years.

The Blue Badge Scheme, which enables people with severe mobility problems to park closer to where they need to go, is run nationally with Northamptonshire County Council administering the initiative locally.

With more than 30,000 blue badge holders in the county, not issuing renewal letters would save the authority about £17,000 on postage costs alone over a three-year-period.

Information on how to apply can be found on the county council’s website, www.northamptonshire.gov.uk or in county libraries.