Working together to make Gardner Street work for all
Following discussions with residents, traders and disability groups we’re proposing changes to the current vehicle access restrictions in Gardner Street, Brighton.
It follows concerns raised by a disabled resident who lives on Gardner Street and whose freedom is currently restricted, and talks with traders who would like more space for outside seating for customers.
We’ve worked closely with all parties over many weeks to try and find a workable and practical solution that ensures no one is adversely impacted by the restrictions while also supporting our local businesses.
The proposed solution would be:
- to fully reopen the street from Monday to Thursday
- close the road to motor vehicles between 11am and 9pm on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.
- a time-limited disabled parking bay to allow blue badge holders access to the local amenities outside the restricted times.
We’ll shortly be asking people to comment on the plans through a 21-day Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) consultation. This is now available on the TRO webpage.
This will give everyone the opportunity to have their say before final proposals are presented to the council’s Transport and Sustainability Committee in the Autumn. There, members of the committee will have the opportunity to discuss and vote on whether to make the new TRO proposals permanent.
Between now and then, businesses will be able to continue to place tables and chairs in the road between 11am and 5pm.
An accessible city
The proposed changes come just a week after Brighton & Hove’s first Accessible City Strategy was agreed by councillors.
Developed with the support of disability groups, the strategy outlines our vision to become a council that is welcoming and inclusive to all its residents and reaffirms our commitment to put accessibility at the heart of how we think, work, design and deliver our services.
The strategy builds on our existing work, while acknowledging that we must seek opportunities to go above and beyond the legal minimum wherever possible to achieve our aims.
Communication and collaboration
Councillor Trevor Muten, Chair of the Transport and Sustainability committee said: “We’ve listened very carefully to the concerns and issues affecting everyone in this busy part of the city and I’m pleased we’ve been able to find a solution we believe can work for all.
“It’s vital that no one is disadvantaged or left to feel isolated, especially our most vulnerable residents. It’s also important we support the businesses who remain the lifeblood of our local economy.
“One of the key themes of our new Accessibility Strategy is engagement, communication and collaboration so it’s great to see this already in action. By listening and working together, we can build a thriving and inclusive city.”
