A disabled woman who became trapped in her own home after her road was closed to all traffic except bicycles has been offered hope by the new council leader.
Labour councillor Bella Sankey spoke out about the case of Ann Ingle at a town hall meeting yesterday (Friday 4 August).
Councillor Sankey said: “The full pedestrianisation of Gardner Street has left a disabled resident imprisoned in her home.
“We are now undertaking urgent work to end this imprisonment and to bring about changes that will allow our resident to enter and leave her property.”
She was speaking as senior members of Brighton and Hove City Council approved a new “accessible city strategy” at a meeting at Hove Town Hall.
The road was closed earlier this year when the Greens were running the council, with traders hoping to benefit.
At the same time disabled bays were removed, with extra bays created in a neighbouring street and described as a mitigating measure.
The closure has been criticised and a number of people with disabilities and their families and friends are understood to have been boycotting the street.
One of the biggest criticisms was that the closure went ahead even though councillors and officials – before the May elections – knew that they would be imprisoning a disabled woman in her home. To read her story, click here.
Councillor Sankey said: “This is Brighton and Hove’s first ‘accessible city strategy’. The aim of the strategy is to put accessibility at the heart of how we design and deliver all our services – and make it easier for everyone, particularly the elderly and the disabled, to get the council services they need and to be able to enjoy the city.
“The strategy includes those people who have visible and invisible disabilities, for example, those who are deaf or neurodivergent, who live in, work or visit Brighton and Hove.
“The strategy is intentionally focused on developing a holistic, integrated systemic approach to change that will shift how the council thinks and works as a service provider and employer.
“The council recognised it needed to develop a more strategic approach to accessibility and disability inclusivity rather than piecemeal, inconsistent, stop-start changes and improvements.
“This strategy will start the council on a path towards fully addressing the issues faced by disabled people in the city.
“Crucially we are adopting an approach based on the social model of disability. Accessibility will be a default consideration informing how we think, practice, and deliver.
“We want to go beyond compliance with the Equality Act, identifying opportunities and actions to go above and beyond.
“We will actively identify, remove, and prevent the creation of barriers.
“Our administration is committed to the mantra that every individual in our city has the right to reach their full potential and to thrive.
“This is in sharp contrast to the Green administration which seemed content with ignoring the rights of disabled residents.
“The Disability News Service – a national media outlet – reported in May that the full pedestrianisation of Gardner Street has left a disabled resident imprisoned in her home.
“We are now undertaking urgent work to end this imprisonment and to bring about changes that will allow our resident to enter and leave her property.”
The strategy was approved at a special meeting of the council’s Strategy, Finance and City Regeneration Committee.
This is really good to hear, about time so she can get out! A ridiculous situation to have happened. Really important for disabled people too if we are really eventually getting listened to. Gardner Street’s a mess, not the accessible environment that was promised by the last council, had vehicles reversing up the road and stuff on the rubbish dropped curbs etc. Hope this council really do think about disabled people and start to include us in their decisions, we’re residents as much as anyone else!!
So important Labour right a wrong here – this was one of the worst mistakes of the previous administration who ignored both their own independent report and Equalities Impact Assesment to not only hugely affect the resident involved but all blue badge users. Sounds like Labour are looking for compromise – fingers crossed.
Good news, well done Bella Sankey and shame on the former Green council who allowed this shameful indignity to happen to a vulnerable disabled resident.
Green cllr Steve Davis insisted on pushing this through
Really pleased to see that the new administration is embracing the Accessible City Strategy. They have been clear that they are going to put right the many social injustices and discrimination experienced by disabled residents by some of the poor decision making by the previous administration, the closure of Gardner Street being a prime example.
An absolute disaster of a closure, even the traders are not happy with the arrangments. Good on Labour for re looking at this lets hope for change. I feel so sorry for the resident involved, must be so stressful.
This was one the worst of many mistakes made by the previous council, who did not listen to disabled groups locally and nationally. To hold someone captive in their own home unable to attend medical appointments or to socialise with other people was and is unacceptable. I hope this is one of many such mistakes being reviewed and rectified.
Great to see Bella Sankey & her colleagues taking this issue so seriously. It’s really important that any changes to the city take everyone with them and are genuinely accessible. Councillors and Council staff must work transparently and actively with communities with protected characteristics. And it does feel like the new Administration are doing that. This has been a long time coming and there are certainly issues to address which were driven through during the past few years. I am hopeful that our city can become a beacon for disability access and showing commitment to individuals and their human rights is absolutely key.
Why not ask cllr Davis why he decided to sign this off despite the advice he received
How could this happen ?
I hope the person is compensated
Love Brighton
Though rubbish clearance lack of public toilets etc make cleanliness questionable
I really do hope that this awful decision made by the Greens will now be rectified. How absolutely disgusting to cause a vulnerable disabled lady to be trapped in her home. I hope that it won’t be long until she is able to get outside, even to attend medical appointments. Well Done Bella Sankey for seeing how cruel & unkind the decision to imprison this lady is!!!
Moronic decision to close the road to cars but not cycling. Traders have reported massive losses and a person is now a prisoner in their own home. Whoever made the call on this should be up in front of a country court to explain their actions.
It’s disgusting that any council thinks it’s ok to do this to disabled members of their community’s many of us disabled people struggle enough without feeling like the council is against and thinking it’s fine to restrict to being stuck in our homes. Brighton is getting g worse and worse for for them disabled that live here getting over looked by the councils and ignored with more and more disabled parking being removed for cycle paths and such
The whole ‘green’ nightmare was always anti democratic and very ableist. Not everyone can ride a bike or walk. For those who are imuno suppressed, getting on a germ waggon, sorry, bus is not a good idea. Phelim and his ship of fools was only ever interested in the young, fit and compliant. Why does that bring another past European regime to mind?
Well done Bella, keep up the good work!
Can’t use a wheelchair to get to the end of the road, but can drive?!?
Blimey how naive. No she doesn’t drive but her carers and those that take her to hospital do. Stupid post of the week, another who thinks all BB users drive or own a car.
Not all Blue Badge holders are the drivers. Not all Blue Badge holders own a car or can afford to run one. The Badge can go in any private vehicle or taxi that’s being used to support the disabled person live their life. Glad we’ve cleared that one up. Best wishes BADGE.
I truely hope that Bordofit never ends up in such a desperate situation as the the lady mentioned in the article.
It’s people who have similar mindsets to Bordofit who would clearly benefit from educating themselves and learn to get curious about life, rather than just post comments that can be deeply hurtful to so many.
What on earth makes you think she can drive?
Big problem with the delivery, most shop opens after 10am and closes at 5.30 pm
If delivery is early or late they have lots of problems delivering the goods
At last some common sense may be about to prevail on what has been a stupid, shortsighted and discriminatory decision by the Greens.
This is such good news. What with the appalling closure of the street, and that of the public toilets, it is clear that the Greens have an utter contempt for the disabled and the aged. Let us hope they never, never get the chance to practice their bizarre and unwelcome ideas again.
Thank goodness that the new Labour Council is dealing with this horrible situation! How was this allowed to happen? Disabled people need to be at the heart of these decisions that do clearly affect their lives. Accessibility should absolutely be central to planning in Brighton
I hope this wholesome wishful statement by Bella Sankey becomes an action plan soon, with a concrete date for opening the road for Ms Ingle.
Thousands of people each weekend to be squeezed back on pavements so the few people that think they have a right to drive through a busy city centre whenever they want don’t have to get out of their cars
The idea is that businesses can have greater access to put their goods on the road over the weekends when it is busier
I brought up the subject of my disabled sister with the previous Council. They knew they were creating a real problem for her but they went ahead with the road closure anyway. I’m really pleased that this discriminatory decision will be reviewed.
Thank goodness Bella Sankey and colleagues can envision a wider, more consistent and inclusive view towards the development of the city with accessibility being a default consideration, not simply stopping where the Equality Act stops but going above and beyond. Music to so many ears. Also great to hear the words ‘identify, remove and prevent the creation of barriers’.
Hopefully this can be achieved in a transparent manner, inviting everyone to have their say, with strong engagement and focus on Disability groups/businesses/charities/carers and known individuals living with disabilities, with the understanding that many people living with disabilities are already coping with ‘too much stuff’ and need ample time to write meaningful submissions. Some may find it impossible. Perhaps it’s important for more Advocates to be made available at this time of welcome change.
Workshopping re; how to locate individuals living with disabilities needs to take place so that no-one falls between the cracks.
I always imagined that Brighton and Hove City Council would ‘want/choose’ to be a bright Beacon of inclusion that other council areas could follow and it sounds like the new Council with Bella Sankey at the helm is aiming for exactly that.
The situation of the female at the centre of this story needs to be dealt with urgently, perhaps with a temporary solution because it seems like the wider picture will take some time to be worked out
It should never have happened of course; I am full of admiration for the new leader of the council who is able to tackle issues like this head on. She strikes me as a very intelligent, hardworking and compassionate person. Thank you, Bella, you are giving me hope for the future!