For many disabled people in Haringey, a Blue Badge is what makes getting to work, appointments, shops and family possible. When badges are stolen or used fraudulently, or when changes to the road network make parts of the borough harder to reach, the effects are felt directly. Over several years, reference groups within Haringey’s Joint Partnership Board have worked with the Council to tackle both problems.
Why the groups got involved
Since 2021, the Physical Disability Reference Group (PDRG) has worked with the Council to reduce the theft and fraudulent use of Blue Badges. To help prevent theft, the group pushed for the introduction of virtual Blue Badge permits.
Separately, feedback from all of the Board’s reference groups raised concerns about how vulnerable and disabled people were affected by Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs). That feedback led to the creation of the Transport Inclusion Group, which highlighted the difficulties disabled residents were facing after LTNs were introduced.
What they did
The PDRG worked with Councillor Seema Chandwani, who brought the Council and the police together to address Blue Badge fraud. They agreed to carry out one enforcement operation per year in every ward, plus two operations a year at large events such as concerts at the Tottenham stadium, to catch people misusing badges.
Meanwhile, Transport Inclusion Group members from the Joint Partnership Board have consistently argued that Blue Badge holders must be able to reach every area of the borough now that LTNs are in place.
The results
The work is producing measurable outcomes:
- Fraud enforcement: At the July 2024 Board meeting, the Chair reported feedback from Tim Gunn, the Council’s Parking Compliance Manager, that 550 fraudulent Blue Badges had been taken out of circulation.
- Greater security: The virtual Blue Badge, which the PDRG campaigned for, has made badges more secure for the people who rely on them.
- LTN exemptions: Of the 10,000 Blue Badge holders in Haringey, 4,000 have taken up an LTN exemption. The Transport Inclusion Group has already worked with the Council to make the individual circumstances application process more accessible. It is now suggesting further simplifications to the exemption process, to encourage more eligible residents to apply.
The Board behind the work
This progress reflects the co-production approach at the heart of the Joint Partnership Board. Public Voice, an early advocate of the approach, worked with experts by experience in Haringey’s Planning and Oversight Group to produce The Principles of Co-Production. Haringey Council’s Cabinet adopted the report in 2017, and it led to the creation of the Joint Partnership Board.
The Board exists to make sure vulnerable groups in Haringey have a voice in how health and social care services are provided. It brings together residents who are carers, Disabled people, older people and others who face health inequalities, and they work alongside the commissioners of health and social care services.
Haringey Council commissioned Public Voice in 2017 to establish and support the Board and its Reference Groups. In that time, members have helped secure significant changes and improvements to local services. In 2026, after a strategic reshaping of the Board’s governance and membership, Public Voice transferred the Board to a local Haringey charity, which will support the Board and its members on an ongoing basis.
