With the new promenade plans for Largs attracting criticism, with several readers saying they just want good quality pavements and roads to help good access for all, we have asked our 'News' Access All Areas correspondent Zoe Maclean to look at problems in town...
"Largs has a long historical tradition as the town which attracts thousands of visitors every year. People come to Largs for a variety of different reasons. They come to enjoy a day at the seaside, to enjoy an ice cream, to visit family and friends and perhaps round the day off with some fish and chips. In addition Largs has long been known as one of the many Scottish ports visited every summer by the world famous paddle steamer Waverley as she carries visitors on day trips "doon the water" from Glasgow to Largs and many of the Scottish islands.
The town has a wide variety of shops, cafes and restaurants which serve the needs of both local people and visitors alike. I am pleased to think that the introduction of the new multi million pound Parasports centre at Inverclyde, the first of its kind in the UK, will help to open the town up to a much wider and more varied audience. It is a crying shame therefore, that the lack of accessibility within the town is a real stumbling block for anyone with a disability or reduced mobility.
Thanks to feedback from readers of last week's Access All Areas column, one of the main barriers to movement around town was highlighted as the poor condition of the majority of the pavements and the lack of dropped kerbs and accessible crossing points. Some of particular concern are listed below.
The Main Street which is very uneven and narrow at many points, the condition of the Main street seems to worsen as you progress southward through the town.
Aitken Street is an area of particular concern with lowered kerb outside Superdrug often being used as an unmarked crossing making it very dangerous for both pedestrians and motorists.
Bath Street has very few lowered kerbs which can make it very difficult to access the pavement safely.
Frazer Street has very narrow stretches of pavement and in some cases no pavement is present at all.
On Allanpark Street, the lack of a lowered kerb to access the pavement near the library makes access for any wheelchair or scooter users very problematic.
These are examples of a few of the most troublesome areas. In addition to the poor condition of roads and pavements, a lack of sufficient and clear signage could cause problems for anyone new to the town, or with a visual impairment or learning difficulty. Moreover the loss of the main tourist information office within the town means there is no central point of contact to ask for information and help. The presence of a heavy door, steps, lack of a safety compliant ramp and sometimes the attitude of a shop owner can all be major barriers to accessing shops and restaurants especially for those with a disability.
The issues highlighted here are not exhaustive and are by no means unique to Largs. The business led organisation Explore Largs did not receive an accessibility grant from Visit Scotland as was reported in the recent Access All Areas column but they are working closely with Visit Scotland to improve the disability awareness of some of the local business owners.
In limiting access to a business premises to those with any kind of learning or physical disability or someone with reduced mobility, businesses not only lose custom but it also represents a loss to the local economy.
Largs as a town has certainly made its mark on the tourism map over several years and undoubtedly with the development of the new state-of-the-art sports centre it will soon make its mark on the international sporting map. The main question is in either instance will it be represented as a town which is accessible for all?"