12‑week grace period for expired Blue Badges as Shropshire tackles long waits
Blue Badge holders in Shropshire will now be able to use expired badges for up to 12 weeks while renewals are processed.
Shropshire Council has announced a 12-week grace period for Blue Badge renewals following what it says is a sharp rise in demand and ongoing funding pressures from central government.
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It means that Blue Badge users will be able to continue using their badges for up to 12 weeks after their expiration in council-run car parks while their renewal is being processed.
Shropshire's deputy leader, Councillor Alex Wagner, said the issue was the "single biggest" customer service feedback the council had received in recent months, and that he hoped the change would make things easier for people who use the scheme.
Councillor Wagner also said that an additional member of staff had been brought in to help process applications faster, with waiting times now down to around 11 weeks on average.
“Blue Badges are vitally important for mobility and independence," he said.
"Due to a significant growth in the number of applications over the last few years, processing times have been badly impacted, and we have decided we need a change in approach to deal with this.
“We are taking action by introducing a 12-week grace period for renewals from the Blue Badge’s expiry date. Our aim is to deliver a fair and reasonable service that residents can rely on. We have also hired an additional member of staff to help us process applications more quickly.
“In practice, this means Shropshire Council will allow the continued use of the expired Blue Badge for 12 weeks after the Blue Badge expiry date only, on Shropshire Council car parks and our other council locations. The grace period commences today (Thursday, March 12).
“This is not a perfect fix, but we hope it will go some way to ensuring residents entitled to a Blue Badge can maintain their independence and access council car parks and facilities across our market towns and villages.”
Figures shared by the council show that Blue Badge applications have increased by more than 3,000 a year since 2020/21.
During the 2024/25 financial year, 9,319 applications had been made for a badge, compared to 6,290 four years previously.
A spokesperson for the council said it continues to press the government for sustainable long-term funding for local services, including statutory schemes such as Blue Badges, to ensure that growing demand can be met properly in future.
