Ian Streets of About Access discusses inclusion in construction and how feedback from consultation around a multi-million-pound road improvement project has resulted in a group of major construction companies working together to minimise the negative impact of their work on neighbours, and particularly on disabled people.
Considering Inclusion in Construction, published as an “aid to best practice” for inclusion and accessibility, also took on board the views of a number of disability groups. About Access were invited to contribute as experienced accessibility consultants.
The document is significant for the calibre of the companies which have combined to produce it and for its role in guiding and informing future projects during the development and delivery phases.
Costain, Balfour Beatty, Morgan Sindall, Skanska, BDV Recovery and Highways England all worked in partnership to compile the publication, which emerged from a scheme to improve part of the A63 which runs straight through Hull.
Inclusion on the A63
It’s only a short section of road, less than a mile, but it carries nearly 50,000 vehicles every day and acts as a barrier between the city centre to the north and leisure facilities to the south. Millions of pounds have been invested in building trendy bars, restaurants, shops, offices and apartments in an area close to Hull Marina which was at the heart of the UK City of Culture activities in 2017, but the volume of traffic and the time it takes to cross the road deter some people from going there .
Key features of the process for separating vehicles from people involve removing pedestrian crossings, lowering the dual carriageway and putting in a footbridge with a nice, stylish design. Public consultation took place using traditional guidelines, but feedback was considered to be poor, particularly from representatives of disability groups.
Inclusion workshop
A workshop was held with the aim of exploring how to give greater consideration towards inclusion during construction. The fact that we took part along with Hull Access Improvement Group, Rights and Equality Sandwell and West Bromwich African Caribbean Resource Centre is an indication of the desire of the partners to develop policy which can be applied consistently and nationally.
Among the issues covered are access and egress, diversions and the impact on the local road network, breakdown and recovery, construction activities at particular times of year and how to communicate and engage with people.
It identifies the need to take a community-wide approach, consulting with schools, faith buildings, care homes, businesses and residents when engaging with the public, holding exhibitions and drop-in events before a project starts and looking for any characteristics of a neighbourhood which require specific attention.
Temporary considerations matter too
The document spells out the need to ensure that any temporary footpaths can accommodate wheelchairs and other mobility aids, that vehicle recovery teams consider the needs of diverse road users and that signage and other communications are tested with a variety of stakeholders covering all relevant groups before implementation.
Particular points raised include ensuring that diversity/disability awareness training is provided for members of the project team involved in providing information. It invites them to consider providing tablets or boards which can be handed to wheelchair-users to enable them to view plans, adding subtitles and sign language to videos, making models and plans tactile – and ensuring any exhibition venues are accessible!
The guide draws attention specifically to the Equality Act and reminds readers of Highways England’s requirement that an Equality Impact Assessment is completed and should then be reviewed at all the scheme stages.
Not just big projects
Latest cost estimates for the road scheme in Hull are almost £400 million, but that doesn’t mean the issues covered in the pages of Considering Inclusion in Construction should only be adopted for big projects.
The principles within the document are consistent with our message that good accessibility starts at the planning and design stage. Whatever the size and cost of a project, there are clear benefits from thinking well in advance about the accessibility needs of the people who will use it, the employees who will work on it and the neighbours who will be affected by it.
More from About Access can be read on their stakeholder page.
