Issue
The level surface at the end of Cheap Street was specifically identified by some wheelchair users as a good environment whilst at the same time by one participant with sight loss as a bad one. Wheelchair users appreciated the ease in crossing provided by the level surface whilst one individual with sight loss felt that the demarcation between footway and carriageway was insufficient though he did identify the corduroy tactile paving as marking that boundary. In this situation the positioning of the bollards (between the cycle area and main carriageway) are causing confusion about where this boundary actually is. Another individual with sight loss felt that the absence of a level change made things easier for her.
Opportunity
The level surface could be made considerably less problematic for some people with sight loss by extending the depth of the corduroy paving from the current 400 mm to 800 mm to mitigate the risk of someone with a long stride stepping over it without realising and potentially entering the carriageway unexpectedly. Additionally at the end of Cheap Street there are areas where the footway and carriageway are totally level with no tactile demarcation that could result in a person with sight loss entering the relatively heavily-trafficked carriageway of High Street and Orange Grove without realising. These should be marked with 800 mm depth of tactile paving as a matter of urgency.