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Decision Maker: Executive Councillor for Open Spaces and City Services
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Is Key decision?: No
Is subject to call in?: No
To consider the findings and recommendations of the Accessibility review report. To consider the associated action plan.
Matter for
Decision
In 2014 a review was commissioned to gain a fuller
understanding of the issues affecting ease of access in and around the city
centre for a range of users but particularly pedestrians, disabled and
wheelchair users. The review was completed recently and the final draft report
was attached for consideration.
Decision
of Executive Councillor for City Centre and Public Places
The Executive
Councillor resolved:
i.
to agree
the findings of the city centre accessibility review and to note the
recommendations for further action set out in the study at Appendix A; and
ii.
to agree the
development of a detailed action plan to be brought back to Scrutiny Committee
at its next cycle for consideration.
Reason for the Decision
As set out in the Officer’s report.
Any Alternative Options Considered and Rejected
Not applicable.
Scrutiny
Considerations
The Committee received a report from the Head of Planning regarding the Cambridge City Centre Accessibility
Study.
The Committee made the following comments in response to the report:
i.
Welcomed the report and suggested that it was
needed.
ii.
Suggested that the pictures were very useful at
highlighting the problems.
iii.
Suggested that access was not just an issue for
those with mobility issues and had an impact on the all user of the City
Centre.
iv.
Suggested this was an opportunity to raise wider
disability issues.
v.
A greater problem would be enforcement.
vi.
Welcomed the involvement of College Bursars.
Head of Tourism & City Centre Management added clarity to
the legal position of A boards which were not
permitted on the highway. However, she added that the County Council did not
have the resources or staff to enforce this. A joint approach was planned for
the future. An officer group had been formed recently to develop more effective
partnership working between the City, and County Councils, Police and Cambridge
BID on City Centre operational issues such as illegal street trading,
anti-social busking and punting. This group will meet meeting monthly
throughout the year to ensure that this joined up approach continues throughout
the busy summer months.
The Head of Planning stated that the Local Plan included a Public Realm
Strategy and sections on visual pollution. Once the plan was in place, these
could be used to protect the City Centre.
The Committee resolved unanimously to endorse the recommendation.
The Executive Councillor approved the recommendation.
Conflicts of Interest Declared by the Executive Councillor (and any
Dispensations Granted)
No conflicts of interest
were declared by the Executive Councillor.
Publication date: 14/04/2015
Date of decision: 19/03/2015