New pathway making Salisbury parks more accessible
It's on Pinewood Way in Bemerton Heath
A new pathway in Bemerton Heath has been opened, marking progress in making Salisbury more accessible.
Pinewood Way has now been opened allowing people with limited mobility, especially those who use mobility aids, to access the green and playground area more easily.
It was brought about by the Disability Interest Group of Salisbury (DIGS) after they completed a disability audit across the city, identifying barriers to accessibility and recommending improvements. in November 2022.
A task group was set up by the City Council in January 2023 to review the audit and assess the next steps.
A series of meetings followed, the council agreed to allocate funding in the 2024/25 budget to begin making our parks and open spaces more accessible. This was agreed at Full Council in January 2024 and budget made available in April 2024.
The £32k investment is Salisbury City Council’s first project aimed at making Salisbury’s parks and open spaces more accessible.
Kez Adey, CEO of DIGS, said, “After a lot of hard work by members past and present it is fantastic to see the City Council make important accessibility decisions.
“After our MP told us it was not a government issue, we lost hope a little, so it is fantastic that the City Council is taking the first steps in an important project.
“I would like to thank Paul Sinclair, Mandy Blake, Harris, Julia, Chris & Justin for all the ideas and also Salisbury City Council for listening to our passionate pleas, and we look forward to working with them in the near future with a wheelchair accessible swing.”
Cllr Annie Riddle said, "There is still a great deal that needs to be done to make Salisbury disability-friendly, and the City Council leadership is keen to help when funds permit. This new path is an important step along the way to better access for all, and we're delighted to have been able to help."
Cllr Caroline Corbin, councillor for the Bemerton Heath Ward, said, “The installation of the path will enable more families to use the park safely, grateful thanks to Kez and the DIGS team for helping to raise disability awareness within our communities.
“Disabled access requirements are very easily overlooked when often a small improvement can have a big impact on a wide range of needs. Such as the path, which will be useful to wheelchair users, parents/carers/grandparents with pushchairs, or even a toddler on their first bike ride to the park.”