• THE Business and Planning Act 2020 has introduced a fast-track process for businesses to apply for a pavement furniture licence.

Visually Impaired in Camden (VIC) has serious concerns about the proliferation of temporary street furniture, which can act as an obstacle to people with vision impairment or limited mobility.

VIC is concerned at the dramatically shortened consultation periods for applications for licences.

However the government’s own guidance is clear that local authorities must continue to meet the public sector equality duty (created under the Equality Act 2010), taking into account the needs of blind and partially sighted people when considering applications.

While VIC notes Camden is eagerly extending the number of “streateries” across the borough, we ask the council to remember to use its powers to set local conditions for licences to ensure high streets remain accessible and that these conditions are enforced.

VIC acknowledges that this is a very difficult time for the council which faces a variety of unprecedented challenges with limited resources.

However it remains vital that people with a vision impairment and others with limited mobility should continue to be able to access their streets, businesses and other services safely.

Changes to infrastructure as a result of social distancing have already hit blind and partially sighted people disproportionately hard, with two-thirds of respondents to a RNIB survey reporting that they have felt less independent since social distancing was introduced.

ROSEMARY NICHOLSON
Visually Impaired in Camden