Disabled ramp battle victory
A four-year campaign to improve a Stirling shopping centre car park’s disabled access has been successfully concluded.
A new ramp now provides wheelchair and mobility scooter users with improved access to Waitrose, TK Maxx and Maplin Electronics at Burghmuir Retail Park.
The ramp was laid to the right of the Waitrose store frontage, near to its ATM and trolley store, after Stirling Area Access Panel wrote to Waitrose chief executive Rob Collins highlighting the problems facing disabled shoppers visiting the centre.
Up until now wheelchair-users coming from the city centre had to negotiated a step or, via a dropped kerb, cross the car park.
Thanks to the ramp, they can now access the footpath around the outside of the car park to the stores’ frontages.
Access Panel chairman Robert Dick said the addition of the ramp was a major boost for disabled shoppers coming from the direction of Upper Craigs and the city centre.
“It replaces a single step and will allow wheelchair users to safely access all the shops in the centre without the hazard of having to cross the busy car park,” he added.
“When the centre was under construction we had a couple of meetings with Waitrose architects and project manager.
“But, unfortunately, they would not allow us on to the site.
“It was only after the store opened, in 2014, that we saw this silly step which was a barrier to wheelchair users accessing Waitrose and the other stores.
“We learned shortly after the opening about a woman in a motorised wheelchair who was visiting the store and was almost hit by a reversing car.
“She never visited Waitrose again because she thought it was too dangerous.”
Mr Dick said the access panel highlighted the problem but getting it resolved proved difficult because of complexities with ownership of the ground and changing facilities management.
He finally contacted the office of Mr Collins and staff they agreed to pass on his comments to real estate services company Cushman and Wakefield, the company which looks after the car park.
“We thank Cushman and Wakefield for implementing this simple and long overdue measure which now means wheelchair users can benefit from the use of this retail development as inclusively as any other person.” added Mr Dick.
“A Waitrose spokesman said: “We have always been keen to have the ramp installed since first being approached.
“But this was delayed while the ownership of the car park transferred to a new landlord.
“We apologise that we weren’t able to carry out the work sooner.
“However, we are pleased that it is now in place.”