The Wokingham Borough Council have claimed to have improved blue badge application services in the borough, it was announced this week.

ALSO READ: VOTE: Where is the best place to live in Bracknell Forest?

The Council claimed that it had listened to resident's feedback and made applications quicker to submit and process, after complaints have been made to the council, as well as a Local Goverment Ombudsman (LGO), an authorities watchdog, ruling mismanagement of badge applications earlier last year.

Key changes include now allowing residents to make an application on behalf of another person, an online account is no longer necessary, and applications can be saved while being worked on. Documents can also now be downloaded.

These changes come after complaints have been made to the council, as well as a Local Goverment Ombudsman (LGO), an authorities watchdog, ruling mismanagement of badge applications earlier last year.

ALSO READ: Wokingham council rapped by LGO over autistic blue badge plea

According to BBC Shared Data Unit, the Wokingham Borough Council (WBC) received the highest number of applications for blue disability badges out of all the councils in Berkshire, approving 2,285 of applications

out of 2,800 requests made, from August 2019 to September 2020.

The data also revealed that during this time, a mere 2.89% of all car parking spaces owned by WBC have been designated as disabled only - compared to the percentages from other councils in Berkshire in the same time frame, this is the lowest percentage of spaces made available.

ALSO READ: Do you remember Bracknell Bus Depot? We have a look at Bracknell's changes

Cllr Gregor Murray, executive member for resident services, communications and emissions, said: “We recognised that our online application form was causing unnecessary frustrations for some of our applicants.

"You spoke and we have listened.

"The improvements we have now made means the customer experience is much smoother and more efficient.

"We’re always looking to make improvements for our customers and making it easier for them to interact with us.

"And since the launch in December, we have received more than 100 applications and the early feedback is very positive.”

For those needing assistance completing the form, the council is offering telephone appointments on 01189746000.

For more details, visit news.wokingham.gov.uk/news/online-blue-badge-process/.