High Peak Access had some concerns about disabled access into and around the new Howard Town Mill development in Glossop.

Assessment of Howard Town Mill  1Mb

High Peak Access had some concerns about disabled access into and around the new Howard Town Mill development in Glossop.

Dave Bennett (Deputy Chair of High Peak Access) together with other members of High Peak Access, met Councillor Ellie Wilcox (the Council’s Lead Member for Disability Issues) on site to show her some of the practical difficulties arising from the layout.

Commenting on the layout, Dave said:
"It’s clear that the developers have made some changes to the road and parking layout that have made the access much worse and it was good to explain these difficulties to Councillor Wilcox who was very sympathetic to our concerns. Whilst we were there, other shoppers were commenting on how difficult it was to walk safely around the site”.

After the site visit a meeting was held involving Councillor Wilcox, senior officers at High Peak Borough Council, and the Chair and members of High Peak Access. Among the issues discussed at the meeting was the width of the pavements at the entrance to the site, which are so narrow that some wheelchair users cannot use them and have to use the roadway, which can be dangerous. Also, that there is a lack of safe and clearly marked accessible routes through the site.

The Chair of High Peak Access, Howard Hughes, has been concerned about access into the development since it opened for business. Howard said:
"I feel too scared to go into the site in my wheelchair alone as I have to use the road to gain access to the site from the High Street side. If I use the pavements, I end up a long way from the shops I want to visit and I can’t get down to the far end of the site without using the road.”

High Peak Access pointed out that access is not just a problem for disabled people, but also for elderly people and parents with young children, and that an accessible environment benefits all of the community.

High Peak Borough Council have agreed to arrange a meeting with the Howard Town Mill developers, High Peak Access, and other interested parties to discuss these issues. The Council has also agreed to consult High Peak Access at an early stage in any scheme in which the Council has a direct involvement, to consider training for relevant officers in disability related access issues, and to inform developers and builders that they can consult High Peak Access at an early stage in their scheme design.

High Peak Borough Council also agreed to hold regular meetings with High Peak Access to discuss issues around accessibility in the High Peak.

Councillor Anthony Mckeown, executive member for community services at High Peak Borough Council, said:
"Improving access benefits everyone and I look forward to working in partnership with High Peak Access to engage service providers, both public and otherwise, to do all they can to make sure that this borough and all that it has to offer are accessible to all."
High Peak Access look forward to working positively with High Peak Borough Council to build an environment that is as accessible as possible for everyone.

16 October 2013 (JR)