Station improvements called for in Broxtowe disability review

This article is published in today's Nottingham Post:

Station improvements called for in Broxtowe disability review

A 20-POINT action plan has been drawn up to make Broxtowe more accessible for people with disabilities.

Broxtowe Borough Council has published the findings of a 12-month review which looked at how accessible the borough is.

The report calls for access improvements to platform two at Beeston railway station.

The recommendation follows a review of disability issues by the council's People and Places Examination and Inquiry Group.

Councillor Jacky Williams, who chairs the group, said: "Transport was one of the main issues. Hopefully improvements at Beeston station, certainly for platform two, will happen."

At present, passengers with disabilities have to get to the platform via a road footbridge in Station Road. The platform is the main stopping point for trains heading out of Nottingham to London, Birmingham and Cardiff.

The council's stance has been welcomed by campaigner Dean Thomas, of Beeston.

Mr Thomas, 39, who has cerebral palsy, said: "At worst the situation at Beeston train station is discriminatory and a disgrace, at best it's frustrating and a right pain.

"It's crazy that I have to go to Nottingham or Derby to board a train which often then stops at Beeston. Living in central Beeston this can often add an hour at least on to any journey I make.

"To make the station fully accessible it needs to be staffed at all times by at least two people and it also should have an accessible toilet."

The review was carried out between January and November last year, with the committee holding eight meetings with various groups.

Other topics covered included access to public conveniences, access to housing, community issues, employment, sport and leisure, and access to public buildings.

The report found 12 out of 19 council and civic buildings in the borough met accessibility standards for people with disabilities.

As a result, the committee has drawn up a list of 20 recommendations.

Suggestions include forming a disability access group of disabled residents to allow greater involvement with the council over disability matters; producing a leaflet informing businesses of their duties under the Disability Discrimination Act 2005; and seeking to install an adapted "Changing Places'' disabled toilet as part of the Beeston Square redevelopment.

Mr Thomas last year campaigned for access to be improved in Beeston town centre. He said: "Access to Beeston town centre has been improved recently, mainly as a result of the new paving to the pedestrian areas which has made level access to more shops."

A spokeswoman for Network Rail said there were no plans to carry out work to improve disabled access at Beeston station, but that it would be willing to work with any partner organisations planning to do so.