Agenda item - Written questions from members of the public.

95.1    The Mayor reported that 1 written question had been received from members of the public and invited Mr Martin Jones to come forward and address the council.

95.2    Mr Jones asked the following question:

“Across the City, Councillors have pleased families, especially those with disabled children, by their recent understanding that reducing inequalities for disabled, unlike minorities, is not mainly done in the head and the heard but also needs funding.

However I feel ashamed that unlike other equality resorts we’ve built marinas, banks to avoid naturists, cycle lanes, numerous amenities and next to flying 360 donuts yet the whole sea front is bereft of any ramp to the sea; that’s between the Marina and Carrots Cafe, to simply dip feet and wheels.

Does Mr Kitcat share my shame that after 200 years this City has not given this basic, affordable, reasonable right to residents and the visiting wheelchair minority?”

95.3    Councillor Bowden (substituting for Councillor J.Kitcat) replied:

“I’m not Councillor Kitcat, I’m the Councillor in charge with the responsibility for the seafront so I will answer on the Leader’s behalf. Providing safe access to enable wheelchair users to use the beach and also to get down to the seafront has been a problem that we’ve been looking at over a number of years and that includes people with walking difficulties not just wheelchair users and the heart of the problem is the shingle which is ever moving.

Over the years we’ve tried many solutions or what we hoped would be solutions including mats which have got destroyed in no time at all, we’ve had other options that we’ve tried with similar results. We’re working with the FED and other people to look at solutions; other Towns and Cities by the sea that have shingles, no one has actually yet come up with a failsafe option.

We do have access to wheelchairs with big fat wheels which can be hired with a modest deposit, they do require someone to push them and be there as an attender which can help but we’re working with other seaside towns that have similar problems as you saw with the storms recently, shingle gets moved around at all times and it’s very hard to predict so building something even if we built a ramp down there, it could well get covered in shingle in no time at all and when we’ve had these mats down, we’ve had people clearing the shingle every time and they’ve not been successful.

I’d also add that this City was recently selected amongst 4 in the whole country to work with Visit England on the Access For All Campaign so this, I’m sure, will be amongst the items that we’ll be looking at very closely but it’s a constant battle with the elements to make this happen but if anyone has suggestions, please forward them to me, I’ll forward them to those officers looking at how we can overcome this difficulty, that all terrain vehicles are our current mode of getting people to the sea and getting them right to the sea edge as well.”

95.4    Mr Jones asked the following supplementary question:

“Following the global HBO reports highlighting institutional racism and disablism within the Council and the responsible intervention when the Council unintentionally caused offence to residents in Golly gates, I now hope that correspondence sent to me last year by yourself and officers regarding two disability hate incidents can be reviewed for possible errors or to check for breaches of code of practice or if the equality act that protects this holocaust minority.

Will you please arrange a meeting with me and Officers to review the correspondence specifically those that support direct hate incidents ignoring police intervention and supporting abuse in maintained schools and the governing bodies?”

95.5      Councillor J. Kitcat replied:

“I fully support and appreciate the concern for assuring that the Council and everyone in the City is absolutely inclusive and respects and supports diversity. I don’t agree with your characterisation of the HBO report, it was challenging but I’m assured that lots of actions have followed through from that and we continue to be a Council that is looked up to by many others around the country for the way in which it leads, for example, the recent Trans Scrutiny and the follow up from that.

I’d be more than happy if you wanted to put in writing to me your concerns about specific correspondence and Councillor Shanks is indicating she has some familiarity with the issues you raise, I’d be more than happy to meet with you to deal with it but I don’t think in this forum, would be entirely appropriate.”

95.6    The Mayor thanked Mr Jones for his question.