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14
Apr 2021
Outdoor dining forcing Harrogate wheelchair users on to roads
A disability charity in Harrogate has said the sudden increase in outdoor dining has caused safety concerns for wheelchair users and visually impaired people.
Hospitality businesses have taken advantage of new pavement licences this week.
Many have been busy but the extra tables and chairs on pavements has prompted Jackie Snape, chief executive of Disability Action Yorkshire, to urge venues to consider people with disabilities.
She said:
Ms Snape said tables and chairs on narrow pavements with no segregated pedestrian area were the main problems. She said it encouraged people to spread out on their chairs and take up the whole pavement, adding:
Read more:
- 'Customer service is key' to improving disability access on Harrogate trains
- Police and council to check Harrogate venues comply with outdoor rule
The new outdoor cafe culture has caused other problems, with one wheelchair user telling the charity they had been unable to get a coffee because an outdoors area wasn't able to accommodate their wheelchair.
Ms Snape said badly managed queues were also a concern because they forced wheelchair users into roads.
She said:
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