Dear Ms Moore

Request for information

I am responding to your query, which I have copied below:

“Could you please tell me if any visually impaired residents of Southport were consulted prior to the `shared street' areas of Chapel Street, London Road and Eastbank Street? And what documentation or legislation did the planners and authority consult prior to the alterations to ensure the safety of vulnerable groups who need to access these areas?”

I assume your question relates to the following public realm projects in Southport completed by the Council during the last 5 years - the pedestrianisation of Chapel Street, the re-design of its junctions with London Road and Eastbank Street and the redevelopment of London Square completed as part of the wider Lord Street Improvements in October 2008. I am not aware of any other recent projects concerning Eastbank Street and London Road.

When developing physical regeneration projects throughout the borough, Sefton Council has a pro-active approach to engaging with groups representing visually impaired people through consultations with Sefton Access Forum (SAF). In developing the projects to which you refer, the Council's project teams carried out extensive consultation with the Access Forum and other groups and individuals with expertise in access, parking, public transport and also involved shop owners and the local community. We asked Southport Partnership and the Sefton CVS, who all represent people with disabilities including visually impaired people, for their advice to help make sure these projects promoted inclusive access and several meetings took place with Sefton Access Forum.

Independent consultants also carried out Access Audits to ensure these projects were designed to meet best practice in inclusive access and resolve access issues in the most appropriate manner. Finally, Merseytravel provided advice regarding inclusive public transport access, particularly with regard to the bus stops situated along London Road.

I confirm that the design of all these projects complies with the current legislation concerning the design of works to the highway. The Council has to comply with specific legislation including the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) and the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2002. This legislation sets out the Council's duties and responsibilities when designing public spaces, pavements and roads and stipulates the signage and warnings that are necessary.

The Council has also carried out `safety audits' six months following the completion of all the projects, to determine whether any further changes were necessary as a result of any issues that came to light during this time. Following these safety audits, additional tactile hazard warning paving was provided at the junction of Chapel Street and London Road.

In all these projects, there is clear segregation between traffic and people - they are not `shared streets' as you state, however, unloading is allowed to take place along the pedestrianised Chapel Street in the early morning between 6.00am and 10.00am, but traffic is prevented from entering Chapel Street outside of these times by automatic bollards.

I hope this provides the information you require. Should you require clarification or any further information about these projects, please contact me directly.

However, if you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request, please contact Sefton Council Corporate Complaints, PO Box 132, Bootle, L20 3WU. You can also do this via an on-line form through the internet site www.sefton.gov.uk or by telephoning 0845 140 0845 (Minicom 0151 934 4657).

You can also complain to the Information Commissioner at:

Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Telephone: 01625 545700

www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk

Yours sincerely

ALAN LAKE

Team Leader - Regeneration and Conservation

www.sefton.gov.uk