Disabled people and young families risk being inconvenienced by outdoor restaurants as businesses start to take to the footway, says Living Streets Scotland.
Planning law allows for the temporary use of land for up to 28 days without the need to make an application for planning permission, which means an Equality Impact Assessments (EQIAs is unlikely to be undertaken. Such an assessment helps to understand and mitigate impacts on people with disabilities.
Penny Morriss, Project Manager, Living Streets Scotland said: “Al fresco dining has the potential to bring our streets to life, creating vibr ant spaces where people want to spend time. However, it must not come at the expense of pedestrians.
“Many of our footways are already too narrow for everyone to be able to practise physical distancing and for people with wheelchairs, buggies or those living with sight loss to manoeuvre safely.
“Town and cities across the Scotland have been investing in trials to create more space for people walking, including widening pavements and closing certain streets to traffic. We should not undo all this great work and investment by crowding pavements with tables and chairs at the expense of the people who need to use them.
“Equality Impact Assessments are incredibly important to ensure the needs of disabled people are considered and recommended in Scottish Government guidance as part of the response to COVID 19. Footways should only be an option where there is at least two metres of space once the furniture and customers are accounted for. Car parks, terraces and parking spaces are great alternatives for temporary beer gardens and eating spaces.”
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