Introduction
This report presents an analysis of responses to the public consultation on the Guidance on Inclusive Design for Town Centres and Busy Streets in early 2024. Thank you to everyone who took the time to respond to the consultation.
Background
Draft national guidance for Scotland has been developed to support the design of inclusive town centres and busy streets. It is based on the premise that if the area is designed for disabled people, then the majority will benefit. The guidance was drafted to help structure, plan, and design more inclusive environments.:
View Draft Guidance on Inclusive Design for Town Centres and Busy Streets.
The draft guidance was developed in response to research which identified that street design should consider the needs of everyone. The research recommended that the principles which it identified should be embedded in guidance and applied in practice:
View Inclusive Design in Town Centres and Busy Street Areas Transport Scotland WSP Research Report.
For those involved in designing or delivering street improvements or adjustments, the guidance provides information on the engagement process, equality duties and key design features to allow accessibility and navigation of busy streets. It addresses the need for meaningful engagement with local people and a place and person-led approach.
This guidance will be of interest to individuals who use these areas including but not limited to disabled people, disabled people’s organisations and community groups involved or interested in street design projects in town centres and busy streets.
The consultation on this guidance was launched on the 11 January 2024 and ran until the 29 March 2024. It asked ten questions, with the first five relating to engagement principles and the second five to design principles. The consultation documents are available on the Scottish Government’s website and, where consent has been given to publish the response, it may be found at Guidance on inclusive design for town centres and busy streets.
Profile of responses
A total of 57 responses to the consultation were received. Most of these (55 responses) were submitted either through the Scottish Government’s Citizen Space consultation platform or via email to the Transport Scotland policy team and added onto the system. Of these responses, one was blank. A further two responses were submitted in letter form via email directly to the Transport Scotland policy team. Rather than being set out as responses to the ten Principles these provided overall statements on the street design and related matters. The 56 substantive responses were analysed together, and the findings are reported below.
Respondents were asked to identify whether they were responding as an individual or on behalf of a group or organisation. A breakdown of the number of responses received by respondent type is set out below, and a full list of group respondents appended to this report as Annex 1.
| Type of respondent | Number |
|---|---|
| Professional association | 5 |
| Access panel | 2 |
| Local Authority | 5 |
| Public Body | 2 |
| Regional Transport Partnership | 2 |
| Voluntary sector or representative organisation | 9 |
| Other business or organisation | 5 |
| Individual response | 27 |
| Total | 57 |
Analysis and reporting
Feedback from the consultation has been analysed by themes which came up across responses to the principles.
As with any public consultation exercise, it should be noted that those responding are self-selecting and in some cases have a particular interest in the subject area. Therefore, the views they express provide important insights but are not intended to be representative of wider public opinion.