London ‘Streetspace’ ruling ‘confirms’ failure of meaningful consultations with disabled people
London ‘Streetspace’ court ruling ’confirms’ many local authorities and transport bodies have failed to carry out meaningful consultations with disabled people says leading disability organisation.
The comments come following yesterday’s High Court ruling that Transport for London’s (TfL) ‘Streetspace for London Plan’, including the Bishopsgate changes, were 'unlawful'.
The judge found that the needs of disabled Londoners were “not considered", and described parts of the EQIA as “perfunctory or non-existent”.
The landmark judgement follows a judicial review mounted by the London taxi trade, challenging the Mayor and TfL’s Plan, associated Guidance issued to London Boroughs and the Order concerning a specific Streetspace scheme, the A10 Bishopsgate Corridor in the City of London, which removed taxi access to a key arterial route.
The Court has now ordered that the Streetspace Plan, Interim Guidance to Boroughs and the A10 Bishopsgate Traffic Order be quashed, following the judgement.
Responding to the judgement, TfL are said to be ‘disappointed’ with the ruling and will look to appeal.
Kirsty Hoyle, CEO at Transport For All, said: “This landmark ruling confirms the findings from our upcoming 'Pave The Way' report on the impact of Streetspace schemes on disabled people, and what we at Transport for All have been saying all along: many local authorities and transport bodies have failed to carry out meaningful consultations with disabled people.
“Our research, which began six months ago and will be published on Friday, interviewed 84 disabled people across London, and will set out the human impact that these failures have had on disabled residents.
“3 in 4 participants expressed frustration at the way streetspace changes have been communicated, citing the lack of engagement, consultation and accessible information from authorities.
“The court’s verdict on Transport for London’s Equality Impact Assessment for Bishopsgate is damning. It's time for change: these documents must be of high quality, co-produced with disabled people directly impacted by these initiatives.
“We note that the court ruled that the Streetspace plan for London be quashed as part of their judgement, and await further information on what this means for our deaf and disabled members.”
