Traders and disabled people criticise social distancing barriers in Cheltenham street

Rows of kerbside barriers, intended to help with social distancing by widening pavements, are being criticised by disabled drivers and traders.

Andrea Berry - who needs to use crutches to walk - usually parks directly outside the shop she is visiting in Bath Road in Cheltenham. But now, because of the barriers, she has to take her chances in a side street, where everyone else is trying to park.

Andrea Berry says the remaining disabled parking bays are simply too far away. She says that she now cannot get to the shops because of her difficulty in walking.

Traders, too, are having problems with the barriers. Local butcher Dave Hoskin says that delivery drivers have difficulty offloading and the street is "chock-a-block... it's just a pain." 

Cafe manager Marcelle Righton agrees.

He says: "It's caused massive problems for the delivery drivers, massive problems for the little bit of street that they can park on. It's chaos. In my opinion they have not worked at all."

The money for the barriers comes from a central government fund, which was set up during the pandemic so that councils could introduce self distancing measures quickly. 

Philip Williams, lead commissioner at Gloucestershire County Council says: “The barriers were put in place to help local retailers reopen safely as lockdown eased, creating enough space to enable social distancing on narrow pavements, whilst maintaining parking for blue badge holders and access to loading bays.

"We’d encourage anyone with concerns to get in touch.”

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