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29
Apr
Disability campaigner backs calls for pedestrianisation of Ripon’s Kirkgate
A disability campaigner and wheelchair user has backed plans to pedestrianise arguably Ripon's most famous street.
The Stray Ferret last month revealed a petition had been set up calling on North Yorkshire Council to launch a consultation into extending pedestrian-only hours on Kirkgate.
If successful, the move would see cars effectively banned between 10am and 5pm, and until 9pm between March 31 and September 30.
Kirkgate links the Market Place and the cathedral and traders hope the move would boost footfall and business on the historic street.
But some residents fear the move would make access more difficult for residents who live on or just off Kirkgate and rely on vehicles.
Jeremy Dunford, a trustee of Ripon Disability Forum, has said accessibility could be improved as part of moves to pedestrianise the street.
Mr Dunford said he wouldn’t want the historic look of the street to be lost, but suggested a strip along the centre of the street could be re-laid [pictured below], which would be easier to walk on, and smoother for people with prams or wheelchairs.
He would also like parking for Blue Badge users to be reviewed, so people can access Kirkgate without causing obstructions.
Mr Dunford said:
It would be lovely for some of the stones in the middle to be made more even and level. The sets could be relayed and once the relay is smooth, if there is less car movement, it’ll stay smooth.
Ripon Disability Forum's plans for Kirkgate.
By focussing efforts on a central section of the street, Mr Dunford said people with disabilities wouldn't have to negotiate tables and chairs put out by businesses on the pavement.
Regarding access to properties, Mr Dunford said residents' concerns could be resolved by improving the rear access to properties via Sainsbury’s car park.
One of the barriers for pedestrianisation is residents getting in and out of their homes by vehicle. The Sainsbury’s access is currently lumpy and uneven, but if that was levelled, residents would have an alternative route.
Mr Dunford said although the proposed changes would require upkeep, the reduction in car use would mean the street would require less maintenance, reducing costs for North Yorkshire Council.
"That's surely a winner for everyone", Mr Dunford added.
Mr Dunford said reducing car access and improving accessibility on Kirkgate would increase footfall and benefit tourism for the city as a whole.
He told the Stray Ferret:
For me, part of the focus is turning Ripon into a place where people will stay if they’re on holiday. At the moment, people often stay in other places and come to Ripon for the day.
The more you make it friendly for people visiting, the more people say: ‘I’ll rent a cottage nearby… I’ll stay at The Ripon Inn, and I’ll spend two or three days here’.
Kirkgate, Ripon
'The access is abused'
The petiton has so far received more than 400 signatures online and on paper.
If it reaches its 500-signature target, it will be eligible to be considered by members of North Yorkshire Council’s Skipton and Ripon area constituency committee.
Campaigner David Ingham previously told the Stray Ferret:
The road is supposed to be partly pedestrianised and for access only, but the access is abused, with vehicles left parked half on pavements, causing dangers for people with mobility problems as well as for families with pushchairs.
It often creates an eyesore of what should be the most picturesque and is the most photographed road in the city.
The petition, which can be signed online here, calls on North Yorkshire Council to “launch the consultation. Back Kirkgate. Put people first”.
The issue has a ongoing for some time now. Ripon City Council requested North Yorkshire Council launch a consultation in March last year.
However, by the following December, Cllr Andrew Williams, who leads the Independent Putting Ripon Before Party Politics group on the city council and is also the North Yorkshire councillor for Kirkgate, told the Stray Ferret he had been “largely banging my head against a brick wall” in discussions with North Yorkshire Council on the topic.
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