Anger over disregard for blind people in Kirkintilloch town centre

Such is the claim made by local disability campaigner Sandy Taylor, who recently visited the town centre with his son Andrew, who took photographs to illustrate the issues.

Sandy, who is blind, recently contacted East Dunbartonshire Council with concerns that allowing cafes and other businesses to lay out extra furniture for their customers would make life impossible for visually impaired people, but feels inadequate action has been taken.

He said: “The only attempt by cafe owners appears to be a few planters placed at the edge of tables.  There is no clear corridor along the ‘desire line’ which is along the front of the shops, cafe’s etc.

“The main offender, D’nisi’s, is also at a ‘pinch-point’ next to the Fountain and you will see that there is no screening of any kind to assist the blind and visually impaired to negotiate their way along the pavement safely. In fact, if we attempt to go round the obstructing tables, there is a danger that we might wander on to the road, as there is no discernible pavement kerb.

“EDC have previously stated that they operated zero tolerance on pavement clutter, however, this is not in evidence.

“I once again call on the council to provide a clear three metre corridor along the building line, in order that blind and other disabled pedestrians can enjoy the same rights as everyone else, in order that we can support our local shops.

“We are happy to support local businesses and there is sufficient room to place tables etc on the pavement beyond the three metre corridor.”

Sandy added that he believes failure to accommodate visually impaired people contravenes the 2010 Equality Act.

Council depute chief executive Thomas Glen said:  “The council is continuing to assist businesses as they re-open – in line with Scottish Government advice – however, a balance needs to be achieved to ensure issues such as pedestrian safety and residential amenity are considered at all times.

“Planning guidance is available on the council website to support businesses with outdoor seating arrangements, which includes a requirement for a minimum two-metre pavement width to be maintained.

“We appreciate Mr Taylor taking the time to raise concerns, which we are

investigating.”

Tamsin Gibb, UK operations director for the D’nisi Coffee Company whose cafe in Kirkintilloch was described by Mr Taylor as the “main offender” in the area, added: “We are very sorry to hear that Mr Taylor has had issues navigating past the outdoor seating areas in and around Kirkintilloch town centre.

“Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the local authorities have encouraged local restaurants and coffee shops to provide as much outdoor seating as possible to reduce the spread of the virus to our customers and staff. We are exceptionally grateful for this help and any other support offered, as our industry is in real danger of collapse.

“Where our shop is located, we are in fact situated at the widest part of the pavement in the whole of Cowgate, with the fountain in front of us.  Every morning we set up our tables according to a layout to accommodate the new 2m Covid distance rule and still provide plenty of pavement space for pedestrians.

“The very front of the pavement at the fountain never has less than a 2m walkway space left adjacent to the roadway and we always position our tables to allow sufficient space for pedestrians to have an easy and accessible passage past our tables and chairs.

“We do face challenges, the same as all our other neighbouring coffee businesses do, in that we cannot rule out customers moving tables themselves at times to accommodate larger groups.  We do conduct regular checks and have signs in place informing them not to do so.

“We have traded in Kirkintilloch for 16 years and our community is very, very dear to our hearts , especially as we are locals ourselves.  These are certainly challenging times for us all and the survival of our industry relies on us all working together and we need the support of the whole community including the councils to help us get through these extremely difficult times.

“Although we have been encouraged by the local authorities to provide as much outdoor seating as possible, we are currently in talks with  East Dunbartonshire Council to see if the areas in question can be extended in any way to provide extra space for local businesses, while ensuring there are no access issues for local residents.

“Some of our other councils in other cities for example have pedestrianised their local roads and provided actual barriers for example to block off seating areas totally in order to assist the local cafes and restaurants and also still assist the blind etc.  This would be a fantastic opportunity for us all in Kirkintilloch if we could get this scheme in place in Kirkintilloch.”

Information on planning guidance and support for businesses can be found on the council’s website at www.eastdunbarton.gov.uk/residents/council-democracy/coronavirus-covid-19.