Medway residents are aware that Medway Council’s Leisure Services have failed to provide safe access to all residents of Medway to Deangate Leisure and have only provided safe access to all leisure facilities at Deangate to 'only car users' which is contrary to the equal opportunities policy of the Council. Such actions would indicate that the income and trading figures supplied to Cabinet were unreliable and could be substantially uplifted where all the these hidden away services (closed 18 hole golf course, 11 bay floodlit driving range 6 lane athletics track with 200 seat stadium, 6 lane indoor bowls centre, 2 football pitches and 3 all weather tennis courts), were properly available to all residents including those without access to car transport.
Medway Council is aware that residents without a car can only currently gain access to Deangate by walking along Dux Court Road and there are no pavements or safe pathways in large parts of the road and residents and young people have no choice but to walk on narrow and busy country roads to gain access to the Deangate entrance. This road, without pavements, narrows drastically and is very dangerous because of speeding cars in parts. Consequently, very few parents, or families or single people, or disabled people without access to a car are prepared to try and walk to these leisure facilities, fearing the unsafe road and associated dangers. It is estimated that such restrictions have substantially reduced income by a very high percentage and that the income figures provided to Cabinet cannot be regarded as safe, reliable or fair.
Medway Council is also aware they can provide safe access for all residents and the general public to Deangate if the Council actioned minor changes and extended the Bells Lane Arriva 191 bus service a very short distance before resuming its normal bus journey along the A228 towards Grain. Such a decision would have been warmly welcomed by many families in Hoo Village who do not let their children go to Deangate for the safety reasons outlined above. Additionally, there are already section 106 monies available for a safe road crossing over the Peninsula Way opposite Dux Court Road which could provide even more safe access for substantial numbers of residents and young people wishing to walk to Deangate.
Will the Leader of the Council confirm these failures have led to unreasonable access to Deangate contrary to the equal opportunities policy of the Council and agree that urgent works and changes will be put in place as soon as possible to rectify the matters outlined?
This would, importantly, allow the Cabinet to review the correctness of their decision to close Deangate primarily made having regard to income figures that should be uplifted and reflect the levels of services to all the community.
Minutes:
“Medway residents are aware that Medway Council’s Leisure Services have failed to provide safe access to all residents of Medway to Deangate Leisure and have only provided safe access to all leisure facilities at Deangate to 'only car users' which is contrary to the equal opportunities policy of the Council. Such actions would indicate that the income and trading figures supplied to Cabinet were unreliable and could be substantially uplifted where all the these hidden away services (closed 18 hole golf course, 11 bay floodlit driving range 6 lane athletics track with 200 seat stadium, 6 lane indoor bowls centre, 2 football pitches and 3 all weather tennis courts), were properly available to all residents including those without access to car transport.
Medway Council is aware that residents without a car can only currently gain access to Deangate by walking along Dux Court Road and there are no pavements or safe pathways in large parts of the road and residents and young people have no choice but to walk on narrow and busy country roads to gain access to the Deangate entrance. This road, without pavements, narrows drastically and is very dangerous because of speeding cars in parts. Consequently, very few parents, or families or single people, or disabled people without access to a car are prepared to try and walk to these leisure facilities, fearing the unsafe road and associated dangers. It is estimated that such restrictions have substantially reduced income by a very high percentage and that the income figures provided to Cabinet cannot be regarded as safe, reliable or fair.
Medway Council is also aware they can provide safe access for all residents and the general public to Deangate if the Council actioned minor changes and extended the Bells Lane Arriva 191 bus service a very short distance before resuming its normal bus journey along the A228 towards Grain. Such a decision would have been warmly welcomed by many families in Hoo Village who do not let their children go to Deangate for the safety reasons outlined above. Additionally, there are already section 106 monies available for a safe road crossing over the Peninsula Way opposite Dux Court Road which could provide even more safe access for substantial numbers of residents and young people wishing to walk to Deangate.
Will the Leader of the Council confirm these failures have led to unreasonable access to Deangate contrary to the equal opportunities policy of the Council and agree that urgent works and changes will be put in place as soon as possible to rectify the matters outlined?
This would, importantly, allow the Cabinet to review the correctness of their decision to close Deangate primarily made having regard to income figures that should be uplifted and reflect the levels of services to all the community.”
Response
Councillor Jarrett thanked Councillor Freshwater for his question. He stated that the Road Safety Team did not have a record of any accidents at this location. The Road Safety Team had a limited budget to make improvements around Medway and had to prioritise spend in areas where there was an existing record of incidents.
He stated that, in terms of access to the site, from a cursory examination of Dux Court Road, there did not appear to be the width to add footpaths and to do this would therefore involve land acquisition on one or both sides of the road. This would require a significant amount of investment, if indeed the land owners would be favourably disposed to selling the land in question.
He concluded by stating that the 191 bus route was a commercial service run by Arriva and as such this was a matter for them to consider.