Report from the meeting of 27 January 2011
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 have some concerns about the car park at the Tesco Express, Maybole Road, Ayr. The disabled parking bays are not numbered and there is a fine of £70 if you exceed a 20-minute stay. It is unclear if this applies equally to disabled people.
With Councillor McFarlane aware of the problems facing disabled people in Ayr High Street: A-boards, wheelie bins, uneven surfaces, lack of safe crossing points - the Panel hope that this may be taken more seriously by the Planning Department.
A Panel member attended a recent meeting of South Ayrshire Association of Community Councils and hopes that this might generate new members for the Panel.
The Panel have drafted a new sample leaflet in an effort to increase members and make them more well-known.
The Inclusive Design Awareness Seminar takes place on Friday 11 March 2011 from 12 noon at the Park Hotel in Kilmarnock. Four Panel members have been invited. There will be a key note speaker and interactive sessions including hearing impairment, visual impairment and wheelchair awareness. There will be up to 60 designers and architects attending and it is a huge opportunity for the Panel to put forward their opinions and speak to them regarding the work they do. It is a free event and would be a good opportunity to boost the Panel’s membership.
SDEF have produced a new leaflet to advertise who they are and what they do.
The Scottish Government have introduced a new consultation Right to adapt common parts in Scotland. The purpose is that the Government is consulting on regulations which will give disabled people the right to make adaptations to common part of the building that they live in. Common parts are those parts that are not owned by any one person, like the stairs or the front door of a block of flats. At the moment, disabled people can only have adaptations made to common parts if everyone who owns a share of the common parts gives permission. The Scottish Government is proposing that other owners will not be able to withhold their permission unreasonably. This should make it easier for disabled people to get adaptations made to common parts of their building. More details can be found on the Scottish Government web site.
Reports from previous meetings - November 2005 onwards - can be found in the News archive.