Dorchester's new walkway is out of step (From Dorset Echo)

Dorchester's new walkway is out of step

8:30am Thursday 18th March 2010 in

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THE design of a new walkway has been blasted for failing to include ramps for mums, the disabled and elderly people.

A flight of steps was built at the back of Dorchester’s Trinity Street car park as part of a revamp of the West Walks and Bowling Alley Walks area.

But residents have hit out at the design as it means there is no easy way up for mums with prams, disabled people in wheelchairs and buggies and the elderly with mobility problems.

Mum Annette Craddock, who was with son Sam, aged two-and-a-half and mum Daphne Montague, said: “The steps mean that I can’t get to the playground in the borough gardens this way.

“It is much more difficult for anyone with a pram as well as the disabled. How will anyone in a wheelchair get up there?

“With the old steps we made a bit of a path up the side but with railings everywhere now, there is no access at all.”

Mrs Montague added: “It’s no good at all for mums and babies.”

The new steps were built as part of a facelift of the West Walks Road, Bowling Alley Walk and Borough Gardens corner. The £25,000 project also involved clearing trees, resurfacing of paths, archaeological works and new fences and railings.

Former councillor John Antell, of Alexandra Road, Dorchester, said: “It is half of a job.

“There should be more consideration for the public.

“They are big heavy steps already. All we want is a lightweight path there as well.”

Chris Irwin, who is a committee member of the Dorchester Area Access for All disabilities group, said: “Where there are steps, equally there should also be a ramp.”

West Dorset District Council led the scheme in conjunction with English Heritage, Dorset County Council and Dorchester Town Council.

Steve Woollard, district council technical services manager, said: “The work took place in a conservation area and next to the boundary wall to the Roman town of Durnovaria, a scheduled ancient monument.

“The objective was to tidy up the area and to replace the old chain link fence with iron railings to match the gardens opposite.”

The district council successfully applied for scheduled monument consent and planning authority approval.

Mr Woollard added: “We have worked closely with Dorset County Council, English Heritage and Dorchester Town Council to ensure the work carried out was right for the area.

“As the site is a conservation area, we were restricted by what work we could do.

“We were not able to provide a pedestrian ramp because excavation was not permitted by English Heritage and the archaeological consultant.

“Without very major work, it would not have been possible to build a ramp complying to current maximum gradient requirements, so the ramp would have been unsafe, leaving wheelchair users at risk of injury.

“However, we have created a disabled route on to Bowling Alley Walk.”