Landmark Access and Mobility Study published For Belfast City Centre

Minister for Social Development Alex Attwood and Minister for Regional Development Conor Murphy today jointly launched an ‘access and mobility study’ for Belfast City Centre.

The study takes an in-depth look at accessibility and mobility issues faced by people with disabilities in Belfast City Centre. It also explores how initiatives introduced in other cities can be used for the benefit of all users in Belfast.

The study has 17 comprehensive recommendations on how key stakeholders including government departments and disability groups can move forward to help improve the access and mobility facilities in the city centre.

One recommendation concerns DSD’s proposal to launch, in early 2011, a pilot ‘way finding’ facility for visually impaired people in Donegall Place at a cost of £30,000. This will involve installing eight electronic “speaking boxes” which are activated by a fob carried by the user to provide advice on the user’s location within the street and to identify hazards.

Commenting on the study Social Development Minister, Alex Attwood said: “A key component of my department’s ‘Belfast: Streets Ahead’ programme has been to engage with groups representing disabled people to ensure that their access and mobility needs are met. The streets ahead programme is delivering further improvements in the main Belfast shopping area: widening and replacing the footpaths which were in a very poor state of repair, using materials which provide better safety underfoot and enhancing the ramps for wheelchair users. There is work to be done and the implementation of the recommendation will remain, how government is judged and should judge itself.

“As part of this, DSD has recognised that there is a need for the relevant statutory bodies to make more progress in responding to the access and mobility needs of disabled people within the city centre. We have worked with other agencies and departments, towards establishing a common agenda which is set out in this study. I hope disability representative groups will view this as a step in the right direction in responding to needs. I accept that further steps are needed. I will try to take further steps.”

Regional Development Minister, Conor Murphy welcomed the report, saying: "In view of the level of ongoing and planned work in Belfast city centre, it is crucial the government departments involved continue to work closely with all key stakeholders including Belfast City Centre Management, local disability groups, transport operators, health authorities and other community interest groups in finding improvements for people with disabilities in the city centre."

The study will help inform the ongoing infrastructure changes to be carried out as part of Belfast: Streets Ahead public realm improvement programme and the potential work of DRD Roads Service, under the Belfast City Centre Transport Management Project, and the emerging Belfast City Centre Rapid Transit proposals.

The full list of recommendations can be found along with the report on http://www.dsdni.gov.uk/bccrd-access-and-mobility-study.htm

Notes to editors:

1. This study has been taken forward under the DRD led Belfast City Centre Change Working Group which is a strategic group comprised of representatives from DSD, DRD, DOE Planning Service, Belfast City Council, Belfast City Centre Management, PSNI and Translink to coordinate key infrastructure/traffic management initiatives in the City Centre.
2. The Access and Mobility Study for Belfast City Centre was produced by Arup transportation consultants.
3. The study builds upon consultation work, undertaken by ARUP, with a variety of disability representative groups including workshops and focus group meetings.
4. It is proposed that the Belfast City Centre Change Working Group (BCCCWG) would continue to steer implementation of the study report. It has been agreed that the Inclusive Mobility and Transport Advisory Committee (IMTAC), an umbrella group for disability representatives, should join Belfast City Centre Management’s (BCCM) Urban Management Subgroup to provide input to BCCCWG via BCCM which is a member of BCCCWG.
5. Proposals in the study report considered for future implementation will be subject to economic appraisal and the availability of funding.
6. The Study also covers people with restricted mobility (e.g. Elderly people who might not be disabled).
7. Copies of the study may be downloaded from the DSD website at http://www.dsdni.gov.uk/bccrd-access-and-mobility-study.htm