Brighton Road Closure Approved

A popular shopping street will close to all traffic except bicycles for six hours a day every day despite the objections of disabled groups.

The decision to shut Gardner Street, in Brighton, from 11am to 5pm daily divided councillors because of the adverse effect on people with disabilities including at least one resident of the street.

The disabled parking bays in Gardner Street will be removed and more created in nearby Regent Street, members of Brighton and Hove City Council were told.

The Greens voted in favour of the changes at a meeting of the council’s Environment, Transport and Sustainability Committee at Hove Town Hall last night (Tuesday 15 November).

The Conservatives voted against the measures and Labour abstained, meaning that the proposals were approved.

The meeting was addressed by Geraldine Des Moulins, chief officer of Possability People, which promotes social inclusion for disabled people.

She said that the closure would impose a curfew on disabled people, “imprisoning them in their own homes” for six hours a day every day.

It would prevent them, she said, “from being able to attend essential health appointments or leave the area for any reason which will compromise their health and wellbeing”.

She added:

“This is a human rights issue and a safeguarding risk.

“The only mitigation offered is that additional blue badge bays are placed in nearby Regent Street (where) blue badge holders are already permitted to park for a limited period.

“This ‘mitigation’ does nothing to compensate for taking away the current bays.

“A further issue that has not been addressed is the distance from Regent Street to Gardner Street.

“People qualifying for a blue badge may not be able to walk or, if they can, for only very short distances.

“The ‘mitigation’ means, to access the street, blue badge holders would have to walk at least 150 metres to 200 metres or more – and that is just one way.

“No individual who is in receipt of a ‘mobility component’ can walk more than 200 metres.

“This is not a mitigation but discriminates against 13,500 residents who are blue badge holders.

“Apart from blue badge holders, Gardner Street needs to remain accessible for taxis, NHS ambulances or volunteer drivers in order for drop-offs and pick-ups to be made for essential appointments.

“The proposal is making this area a ‘no go’ area for disabled residents and visitors. The ‘purple pound’ is thought to be worth £249 billion and is expected to increase year on year. Disabled people are customers too.”

Not everyone was opposed to the proposal. Brighton Business Improvement District chief executive Gavin Stewart spoke in favour of the closing the road to cars, vans and lorries.

Mr Stewart said that business owners had wanted the road to be pedestrianised for years.

During the coronavirus pandemic, the road was closed to traffic except for cyclists and those requiring disabled access – a move welcomed by traders.

Cafés, restaurants and a pub expanded into the road – as they currently do at weekends – but restricting the road to blue badge holders was “open to abuse”.

A report to councillors also said that delivery drivers currently abused the existing disabled parking bays in Gardner Street as part of the council’s justification for removing those bays.

Conservative councillor Robert Nemeth said that disability campaigners had made the case that the council’s proposals went against the government’s equalities guidance published last December.

He asked how moving the nearest disabled bay some 90 metres – from the Gardner Street shops to neighbouring Regent Street – would “mitigate” removing existing bays given that people with blue badges who claimed personal independence payments (PIP) were unable to walk 50 metres.

Councillor Nemeth said:

“The (government) publication emphasises the importance of consultation at the outset and throughout.

“There is a specific line: ‘Car parking should be accessible and easy to use with designated accessible spaces as close as possible to shops and services for on-street parking.’ What’s the response to campaigners who point this out?”

Highways regulations manager David Fisher said that the rules did not specify a distance from parking spaces to visitor attractions – and the bays would be as close as possible to Gardner Street.

Labour councillor Gary Wilkinson said that the road should also be closed to cyclists as other pedestrianised streets were across Brighton and Hove.

He said that the mix of cyclists and more “street furniture” during the hours of the proposed closure would be dangerous for pedestrians.

Councillor Wilkinson said:

“Anybody who has visited Gardner Street during its current closure periods will be aware of how congested that space is for pedestrians.

“Shared spaces work better for pedestrians where there is sufficient space. When volumes of users become too high, the space becomes uncomfortable for both people walking and cycling.”

But his proposed addition of cyclists to the ban on cars, vans and lorries was rejected.

The daily closure was originally intended to run from 11am to 7pm and the proposal was due to go before councillors in September.

But the decision was delayed because of concerns about access for people with disabilities and, after further consultation, the proposed hours of closure were shortened from 11am to 5pm.

The decision went through thanks to the votes of four Green councillors while the Conservatives voted against the move and Labour abstained.