Report from the meeting of 23 February, 2012
South Ayrshire Access Panel meets on the last Thursday in each month and tackles issues relating to making the environment, facilities and services in South Ayrshire available to all its residents.
The Panel heard that a local authority in Fife have stopped funding for their Access Panel as there is now an Equality and Diversity Team in place, so they feel they don’t require to fund an Access Panel anymore. This was very sad news for the future of Access Panels.
The only new planning applications for consideration by the Panel this month is by the Ayr Hospital, Dalmellington Road, Ayr, to build new car parking spaces (180 approx) behind the hospital.
The Panel's new membership leaflets have been completed and are being distributed.
The Inclusive Design Awareness Seminar is to be held on 29 March, 2012, between 10:00 - 18:00 at the Menzies Hotel in Irvine. There is to be a meeting on 2 March, 2012, to plan for the seminar, and go through all the workshops, inform people what they are going to be doing on the day and make up info packs for everyone.
With regard to the dropped kerbs at Ayr Bus Station, a site visit will be arranged to inspect whether the tactile paving has now been fitted.
Panel members will carry out an audit at the Burns Museum, Alloway, Ayr after Easter.
A Panel member reported that the request for disabled parking outside the chemist in Alloway, Ayr had been granted.
A Panel member is running focus groups under the heading of Gallery and Arts Culture Strategy, mainly discussing the Maclaurin and Rozelle Museum. Some questions were put to the Panel: for example, why they would visit these places, what would encourage people to go more etc.
Reports from previous meetings - November 2005 onwards - can be found in the News archive..