"Able-bodied people have been prioritised" - Bathonian describes disabled access in the city
We've heard from someone from Bath about their struggles getting around the city with its disabled access provisions
Disabled people in Bath have been excluded from the city centre since Milsom Street was closed to blue badge holders, one Bathonian who now struggles to get around their city has said.
Milsom Street has been closed to cars since 2020, with a temporary order in place to make the busy shopping street into a buses only road from 10am to 6pm. This means getting a taxi or parking on the street are no longer options for disabled people, although five additional disabled parking bays were added on Quiet Street and New Bond Street.
The order was extended last year. A decision on whether to make it permanent will be made next year.
One Bath local, who was left immobile after a disease and who preferred not to have their name published over fears of online abuse, said: “The change may not sound much to Bath and North East Somerset councillors and active travel campaigners, but it’s changed my life completely.
“I used to go into Bath most days. I’d meet a friend for coffee or lunch. I’d do some shopping or banking. Now I hardly ever leave my house.”
They explained: “Some of us with disabilities can’t walk very far. But for those who can walk just a little way, being able to park in Milsom Street gives us access to lots of useful shops and services.”
Having to park further away means having to use a wheelchair to reach the street, which they said was challenging due to cafes’ outdoor seating and Bath’s uneven pavements.
They said: “Once, I could drive to Milsom Street and park. I could then walk short distances with two sticks or a walking frame and when I was done, even if I was very tired, I had a short distance to get back to the car and go home.
“Now I have to be wheeled back to Charlotte Street and I need to time my visit meticulously to coincide with when a carer can take me.”
They added: “Bath and North East Somerset has taken my independence and dignity away from me, just so cyclists and walkers can enjoy the city centre more.
“Able-bodied people have been prioritised over disabled residents.”
Manda Rigby, the council’s cabinet member for transport, said: “We always assess the impact on people with disabilities when we undertake schemes and we listen to residents, businesses, disability groups and Blue Badge holders to ensure we strike the right balance for everyone’s needs.
“We have good Blue Badge parking in the city which has been protected as part of our City Centre Security scheme, in fact people with Blue Badges are no longer in competition for street parking places with other vehicles within this zone. But our spaces are shared, so at the same time as considering access we also have to listen to and consider our hospitality businesses, who benefit from outdoor seating areas.
“In Milsom Street we are currently reviewing the equalities impact assessment on the experimental traffic regulation order, which enabled the street to be closed, and a decision about whether this is made permanent will be made in the New Year.
“When it closed we carefully considered accessibility ensuring access to disabled spaces in Quiet Street and New Bond Street and we placed seating at regular intervals along the street for everyone’s benefit. However we know there is always more that can be done.
“The council is currently advertising for a specialist access officer to join our highways team and we will continue to work with accessibility groups to make sure we are getting the right balance so everyone can enjoy our city and towns.”
The closure of Milsom Street to cars during daytime is one of several traffic orders put in place around the city centre in recent years.
An order restricting access down York Street for security reasons went to a public inquiry earlier this year, after a business owner on the street objected to the plans.