Stairway to heaven to close

Kate Smail • Published 3 Sep 2010 09:30 3 Comments

IT HAS divided opinion in Peebles - and now it looks like the wooden walkway to the Parish Church may be closed before it has even opened.

Scottish Borders Council (SBC) has admitted this week that the walkway designed to provide disabled access to the church may be too steep to comply with building regulations.

The wooden walkway was designed to help elderly and disabled users access the church without having to negotiate the steep steps at the front of the building.

And now a concerned local, who asked not to be named, has contacted the Peeblesshire News to say the new structure appears not to be fit for purpose, he said: “The original plan did not need to go through building control as the gradient was supposed to be 1:20 - it has since transpired that the gradient could be as steep as 1:12.

"This means the walkway now has to gain permission from building control.

“For wheelchair users that sort of steepness is unacceptable, if someone was trying to get up that on a wet day alone and their hand slipped, they would go crashing back down.”

And the council has confirmed that they are looking into the matter.

Douglas Thomson, Building Standards Manager at SBC, said: “Concerns have been raised over the gradient of the walkway and the designer has agreed to undertake a survey to determine this. Any further action will depend on the outcome of the survey.”

The wooden structure has proved controversial, with many town residents complaining it was too intrusive and spoiled the character of the Cuddy Bridge area.

In a letter to the Peeblesshire News last week, one local wrote: “How a structure of that size and design so prominent in the centre of Peebles ever secured planning permission is beyond belief, even bearing in mind the totally, noble and justifiable reasons behind it being built.”

However, other residents have defended the project.

Another reader told the Peeblesshire News: “Aesthetic appreciation is an extremely subjective area, but I, for one, think that the structure is very pleasing on the eye. The vast majority of conversations I have overheard regarding the walkway have been positive.”

Ronald Ireland, financial convenor of the Old Parish Church, says the kirk has not been notified by SBC about any potential problems with the walkway.

“This is the first I have heard about the matter, as far as we are aware we have all the necessary documents and warrants in place for the project. We have received no notification of this from SBC.”

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This article appeared in Peeblesshire News 03 Sep 10

Have your say. Post a comment on this article.

• 

  Marjorie
  Unregistered User
  Sep 6, 14:33
  Report comment

  That is extremely ugly and cheap looking and doesnt sut the character of the town at all. Who allowed it?!
  
  Recommend?   Yes 0     No 0

• 

  Jock T. Bairn
  11 posts
  Sep 10, 10:28
  Report comment

  Quick, Marjorie, if you sneak down under cover of darkness with twenty five tons of whinstone dressing, you could have the whole thing clad by sunrise. Then it'll look as though no-one has had an original design idea in the past 500 years, and things in Peebles can get back to looking as they have 'aye been'.
  
  With progressives like you around to help move us into the 21st century, I just can't understand why Peebles has a reputation for parochialism, I really can't.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 0     No 0

• 

  TamMacnumpty
  2 posts
  Sep 10, 10:29
  Report comment

  What a daft and horrible looking thing it is. Can nobody work out gradients correctly either?
  
  The ramp at the front of the Church looks bogin also.
  
  Why did they not just put in a access lift in between the Bridge Inn and the Church. Surely they could have worked something out a wee bit better.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 0     No 0

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