Report from the meeting of 30 November, 2006
South Ayrshire Access Panel meets on the last Thursday in each month and tackles issues relating to making the South Ayrshire environment, facilities and services available to all its residents.
The Impact Report by the Disability Rights Commission is now available for view on their website
Planning consultations under discussion by the Panel this month included commercial premises in Troon and Prestwick, one in particular was the proposed development of an old cinema into flats. Other considerations ranged from commercial premises in Girvan town centre, a new unit development in Dailly to residential premises in Ayr.
The Shopmobility scheme had registered a slight increase in its users from October, both in the use of the bus and mobile unit services.
Advertisements will be put in local papers and magazines for audits for the Access Guides in Troon, Prestwick, Maybloe and Girvan. It is also hoped that an Access Guide publicity event would be arranged for the Kyle Centre sometime in January.
The Access Panel will approach the head office of the Clydesdale Bank in Edinburgh over concerns of accessibility to the branch of this bank in Prestwick.
The Access Panel were invited by South Ayrshire Council to review the Council's Disability Equality Scheme. Representatives for the Ayr Central development were also invited along to discuss ongoing disability issues within its confines. The Panel members raised the concerns of the rough surface, poor colour contrast, highlighting of stair areas and difficulties for potential scooter use within the development. These points were well received by the centre manager and the developer's representative, who will contact the Access Panel to arrange a site visit. The meeting then concentrated on the Council's attaining the requirements of the Disability Scheme and another meeting scheduled for six months time.
In connection with the Taxi Driver Disability Awareness Training Scheme, a meeting has been arranged to discuss joint provision of this training within North, South and East Ayrshire. Training in South Ayrshire currently takes place at Ayr College.
On the subject of adult changing facility provision in public conveniences within the Council area, the Panel agreed to add a section to its website, inviting comments from the public.
The Panel heard that currently there are 5,900 blue parking badge holders in South Ayrshire, with 2,800 of them being resident in Ayr.
The matter of an Ayr hotel using its disabled toilet as a storeroom had been raised for the Panel's attention. A Panel member will visit to investigate further, but it was noted that during audit visits for the Access Guide , a number of disabled toilet facilities were found to be used as storerooms. These were subsequently emptied once the problem was flagged up to the personnel involved
The Scottish Disability Equality Forum are reported to be conducting a survey of accessibility of MSPs Offices. Funding is available to make all of these offices accessible, and the SDEF will investigate the effect of this provision.
Reports from previous meetings - November 2005 onwards - can be found in the News archive.