COWDENBEATH councillor Peter Lockhart is growing increasingly concerned by the number of blue badge applications that are being refused by Fife Council and he wants people who have suffered this situation to contact him.

He said this week that he knew of constituents who had their application turned down, but appeals had seen them gain their badges.

“The blue badge system is all about increasing accessibility for people who have disabilities but I have been increasingly worried by the amount of applicants who are being turned down,” he said.

“I had one lady who had been turned down despite the fact she is in a wheelchair which beggars belief.

“There may be others out there that have had similar experiences and I want to hear from them. Anyone in Crossgates, Hill of Beath, Cowdenbeath or Lumphinnans who has been turned down for a badge should contact me.” The council operates to national guidelines on what situations qualify for blue badge status and applications are considered by transportation officials.

Bob McLellan, Fife Council's Head of Transportation and Environmental Services, said, "When considering an application for a blue badge, Fife Council is bound by a Code of Practice written by Transport Scotland and agreed by all Scottish Councils. We treat each application equally fairly and impartially.

"The Code of Practice is very clear on the criteria an applicant must meet to qualify for a blue badge. The rules we follow are the same as every other Council in Scotland. The Code of Practice improves consistency across Scotland by ensuring each Local Authority interprets the scheme's eligibility criteria in the same way.

"It is the responsibility of each Local Authority to ensure that badges are only issued to residents in their area who satisfy the strict eligibility criteria laid out in the legislation that governs the scheme."

Councillor Pat Callaghan, Spokesperson for Environment and Transportation said, "Since 2012, under new guidance from Scottish Government, we're having to apply tougher national criteria than ever before, to the 6000 applications we process each year.

"I personally have grave concerns over the rigidity of the criteria and I will be following this up nationally."

If you want to tell Councillor Lockhart about your experience call him on 01383 514306.