Agenda item - Items referred from Full Council

(a)          Petitions

(i)            Beach and seafront access

57.1      The Committee considered a petition referred from the meeting of Full Council held on 13 December 2018 and signed by 1725 people requesting the council to improve access to the city’s beach for disabled people and those with access needs.

57.2      The Chair provided the following response:

“Thank you for your petition and we fully appreciate that accessing the beach is a significant challenge for those with mobility difficulties. The Seafront Team have welcomed the opportunity to meet with yourself (Claire Nelson) and other members of the Scope project team together with representatives from Positive People to discuss this important issue. The meetings have been very helpful to identify the key challenges faced by disabled people and those with access needs, so that we can work together to improve the experience of visiting the seafront.

The council has introduced a range of improvements such as all-terrain wheelchairs and worked with partners on accessible design into new developments. The latter includes an external lift between the upper and lower promenade as part of the i360 development, and the restored seafront arches are on one level to improve accessibility. Each of the new seafront arches to the east of the i360 also includes an accessible toilet. Trials of beach matting and wooden walkways have not proved successful in the past, where a combination of the challenges of the shingle beach and weather conditions has rendered these measures unusable. However, we would like to work with you to identify new initiatives and explore the feasibility of their introduction on the seafront. Through advances in modern technology and the experiences of other beach resorts there could be new initiatives that would make a significant difference to individuals.

A further meeting is planned in the near future confirmed with your group on Friday 1^st February to consider the area on the beach to the west of the Hove Seafront, which has been identified by all involved as a potential site for an accessible platform.  Whilst securing funding for a project of this kind can be challenging, by working together we may be able to come up with an innovative solution for which bids for funding could be made. I look forward to being part of this meeting together with my colleague Cllr Platts and for a report to be brought back to the committee on this issue in the future.

We therefore look forward to working further with your group.  The seafront is enjoyed by a huge number of residents and visitors and we would like to ensure that despite the challenging environment that enjoyment can be shared by as many people as possible”.

57.3      RESOLVED- That the Committee receive a report on the matter to a future meeting.