Cheltenham High Street’s kerb has been re-painted to ensure it is even more visible.
Following talks with local groups and feedback from residents and shoppers, hospital work was carried out on Cheltenham High Street to give better access to the pedestrians and buses which use it the most.
The work involved covering the gutter next to the kerb in a non-slip material in a contrasting colour to the kerb to help people identify the edge of the kerb.
When the work was first carried out, health safety checks were carried out during peak shopping times, and it met national safety guidelines.
However, there were concerns that the kerb was hard to see – so Gloucestershire County Council has taken action to make it much more visible.
The council talked to Cheltenham Accessibility working group, made up of local people with varying levels if mobility, sight or hearing impairment, to make sure that any changes made were as effective as possible, and to make sure that everything was being done to help people cross more easily.
On the advice of the group, the decision was made to make the contrast between the colour of the kerb and the road even greater, to make it more visible for pedestrians using this part of the High Street.
On Monday 28th September the work was carried out overnight, with the gutter next to the kerb being painted matt black to ensure better visibility to pedestrians.
Cllr Vernon Smith, cabinet member for highways, said, “We worked with disability groups before this work was first done – but the end result left some people with concerns. County Council staff have worked quickly to put a long term solution in place that addresses those issues and makes the kerb much more visible for everyone.”