Report from the meeting of 24 September 2009
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 received a letter from Head of Planning and Transportation, regarding a proposal to ease restrictions on general use of the High Street and requesting the Panel’s views on the subject. The proposal will moderate the present limitations by experimentally permitting access for all classes of vehicles to the High Street between 6pm and 8am Monday to Saturday and all day on Sundays and vehicles will be permitted to park in loading bays. The experiment will last for a period of 18 months during which time its effect will be monitored and evaluated. After some discussion the Panel reasoned that the effect on disabled people during normal times should be minimal but raised some concerns. The scheme could cause problems during peak times such as the tourist season and during the run up to Christmas when the High Street may be busy with drivers not familiar with the equal priority”and speed regulations. The Panel were also concerned about the possible missuse of disabled parking bays.
The Panel received communication from the Equality and Diversity Manager of NHS24. She states that following her extensive involvement and engagement with disabled people she is now in a position to offer the Panel a draft document to read through and give comments. She will formally respond to any feedback on the document and publish a separate report on comments made.
The Panel were sent a letter from SDEF regarding the Access Panel Conference held at Perth on 15th September, reporting that it was a successful day and a good opportunity to hear about the work various Panels are undertaking. SDEF are now requesting the Panels to answer a questionnaire.
The Panel received a leaflet from the Scottish Parliament on How to have your say in the Scottish Parliament. The document details members, how to become involved and how to find out more about the parliament.
With regard to the two yellow boxes painted on the road in Smith Street, Ayr, the Panel were advised by Eric Kelty from South Ayshire Council Roads Department that ; one is at the vehicular access into the railway station and is there to prevent vehicles queuing back from the Give-Way with Burns Statue Square and blocking vehicle access to the station. The second yellow box is to prevent vehicles from parking or queuing across the most likely point at which pedestrians would cross Smith Street to or from the station. Although there were double yellow lines across this crossing point, vehicles were still stopping to load and unload (which is permitted) and which was obstructing pedestrian movement. These yellow boxes control vehicular activity and, although they do not provide pedestrian priority, they should help pedestrians by stopping static vehicles causing an obstruction. Smith Street has to cope with the competing needs of Taxis, shop servicing vehicles, and pedestrians and with various accesses serving the Station, Station Hotel, Car Parks, Sheltered Housing, Callan’s Auctioneers yard and access from Burns Statue Arcade. The provision of a pedestrian controlled crossing would require mandatory zigzag markings on both approach and exit points and would have eradicated the Taxi Rank.
With regard to Girvan Railway Station Booking Hall, the Panel were advised that permission has been agreed for the installation of the new window with the lowering counter in the booking hall. The new autumn timetable has revealed that are also problems with trains stopping at a platform which is not accessible.
A Panel member will contact Stagecoach Busses, stating that the bus routes have been changed without adequate consultation and notification and that the routes are now very confusing, especially in Ayr and Prestwick.
Panel members reported that the venue (Perth Concert Hall) of the SDEF Conference 2009 was fully accessible and that the programme was varied and interesting. The Conference was opened with a welcome from the SDEF Patron Alex Fergusson, MSP who is the Presiding Officer of the Scottish parliament. The first agenda item was Communication Access – Barriers and Solutions with Amanda Bennett and members of the Civic Participation Network Project. Amanda explained in detail the social exclusion suffered by people who have difficulties with speech and suggested some remedies. John MacDonald from the Community Transport Association followed with a dissertation entitled The Concordat: 18 months on – How are we fairing? which included the interface between local councils, Access Panels and the Community Planning Partnerships. Panels were urged to become visible and viable at CPP meetings and be vigilant on behalf of their Panel’s position and that of the local disabled community. The last talk, delivered by Jane Horsburgh of Guide dogs for the Blind was It isn’t always Good to Share! in which she explained the defective thinking behind the shared surfaces principle and exhorted Panels to stop the proliferation of such a flawed, counterproductive and downright dangerous concept. All those who attended agreed that it had been an informative and enjoyable day.
Reports from previous meetings - November 2005 onwards - can be found in the News archive.