A BLIND man is hoping to set up an action committee to challenge the new road layout in Cirencester town centre.

Bill Waddell, from Gloucester, and a member of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB), visited the town at the end of last year to experience for himself the new shared spaces and ‘invisible’ kerbs.

The Market Place re-design, part of a £1.3million regeneration project, has been criticised by a number of residents, following numerous falls and near misses, including from partially-sighted pedestrians.

Mr Waddell was also concerned with the decision by the town council to remove a number of push-button pedestrian crossings, which can make trips into town difficult for those with partial vision.

“My colleague Peter Monk and I have enlisted the street access officer of the NFB to query the reasoning of the town council and planners in their alterations in the town.”

He said his campaign had initially been aimed at issues surrounding the partially-sighted, but having read of a number of sighted citizens having been hospitalised in the Standard, his focus was expanded.

Most recently, Anne Hancock was taken to Cirencester Hospital after tripping on the lowered kerb outside Caffe Nero and breaking her arm.    

“What is needed is a combined effort by all members of the community to protest to the town council and Gloucestershire County Council highways department to stop and rethink their actions which are leading to so many accidents.

“It is surprising that no one has yet taken out legal action for their injuries,” he added.

Bill has organised a meeting at Bingham Hall on King Street on Wednesday, February 22 at 2.30pm for all who want to share their views on the issue.

“What we think is needed is a meeting of all those concerned in Cirencester to hear  everyone’s experiences with the new road layouts and then form an action committee to push the councils into changing their ideas into safer designs for all the public,” he said.

Sarah Gayton, a national campaigner against shared spaces, will be a guest speaker at the meeting.

A Cirencester Town Council spokesman said the scheme is the result of an “extensive public consultation over several years, including disability access groups”.

He said: “The overall aim of the project is to significantly reduce the volume and speed of traffic in the centre of the town and increase the area of paved surface given over to pedestrians.

“The quality of the paved surfaces are being greatly improved and being laid with care to achieve smooth, even surfaces without trip hazards.

“Extensive use of corduroy and blister paving is being incorporated as well as low-profile kerbs to assist visually impaired pedestrians to move around the centre of the town.”