Blue badges confiscated from Sheffield drivers because of misuse

Sheffield City Council’s parking services can remove blue badges from users where they are being abused. A recent change to the blue badge penalty system means that cautions can now be offered to the offender, as an alternative to prosecution, a report to the council’s audit and standards committee said.

A meeting of the committee this week was set to discuss the report but it did not go ahead and will be rescheduled.

In 2023/24, 49 blue badges were confiscated for misuse and the car driver was issued with a penalty notice. These were instances where the badge holder was not present when used.

Upon request they were sent back to the badge holder with a reminder of their use, said the report.

It added: “The option to offer a caution has enabled a more cost-effective penalty which stays on record and can be used as evidence should the offender misuse a blue badge in the future and a prosecution pursued.”

Fraud

No prosecutions took place over that period but the service is currently preparing evidence for a number of cases to go to prosecution.

The report gave an oversight into different types of fraud investigated by the council.

The housing fraud team looks at issues including right to buy cases, where long-standing tenants can buy their council homes at a discount.

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The service had 69 active cases ongoing at the start of the year and 22 properties have been returned to the council as tenants opted to quit their homes whilst under investigation. Three further properties were abandoned during the investigation process.

The report said: “This is in line with the previous years and means that 25 properties could be re-let.

“These properties allowed for a potential 88 individuals to be rehoused. The value of these properties in terms of retention value is £2.046 million, this is based on the rent generated and the cost of placing individuals in other accommodation.”

Another four cases are going through the court system and evidence is being prepared for six cases.The discount that would have been given for the property sales that were stopped amounts to £327,920.