Wigton residents call on Cumberland Council for change

The petition, which was set up by four local ladies, has already received over 400 signatures who want to make Wigton a safer place to navigate. 

Late last year, Dawn Woodward, who uses a mobility scooter, made several complaints to Cumberland Council regarding areas in the town she believes are unsafe. 

However Cumberland Highways said only the kerbs outside B&M on King Street would be looked at, while her other suggestions of installing a crossing at the Co-op on Station Road, and making road surfaces and pavements smoother, were disregarded. 

The Cumbrian town is well-known for its narrow paths and pavements that can be tricky to navigate for those who use wheelchairs or have mobility aids.

Mrs Woodward has been meeting with three of her friends including 92-year-old Margaret Hall, regularly for a catch-up.

Whenever they can, they spread word of their petition and discuss how Wigton should be more accessible for a local community which includes a significant number of elderly and disabled persons. 

Dawn said: "I am adamant to get something done. I've been nearly knocked over five times at the crossing near the surgery. People don't stop, they just don't see you. I have never seen as many disabled and elderly people struggling as I have in Wigton. It's extremely disappointing."

Margaret added: "I wrote to the highways department in March last year. The reply I got said that there was no demand for it and that the geometry wasn't right.  We do need a safe crossing at the Co-op. To say that there was no demand for it, I don't believe they asked anybody or contacted anyone to see if my request was reasonable."

The co-op on Station Road in Wigton (Image: Jimmy Moorhouse)

It is not just the kerbs and crossings, or lack thereof, causing problems in Wigton however, said the campaigners.

Cars and vans are consistently parked on pavements, leaving very little room for those with mobility aids to get by. 

The situation was perhaps best summed up when, as we left a cafe to walk to Wigton library, Mrs Woodward was unable to cross at the dropped kerb due to an Amazon Prime van being parked there. 

The van blocked the entrance to the library (Image: Jimmy Moorhouse)

She was instead forced to travel 100 yards down the road, coming back on herself, before travelling across a cobbled surface in order to reach the library entrance. 

Margaret added: "It's very difficult. People do park on the pavements. Nobody seems to want to know anything, you almost feel like someone has got to be killed before they take notice."

Christopher Scott, during his time as Mayor of Wigton, joined Mrs Woodward on a trip to Lidl, riding her spare mobility scooter to gain a better understanding of her position. 

He said: "I accompanied Mrs Woodward from her home in Fairview Court to Lidl, driving one of her mobility scooters. Along the way, she pointed out key issues that she and many others face when traveling around town. One of the most frustrating issues she highlighted was the presence of parked cars on pavements. This not only blocks the way for pedestrians but also poses a significant obstacle for those using mobility scooters or wheelchairs.

"As we continued our journey, Mrs Woodward expressed her concern about the lack of a safe passage to the Co-Op without having to cross a main road. This is a significant issue for individuals with mobility impairments or disabilities, as crossing busy roads can be daunting and dangerous. Mrs Woodward suggested that a zebra crossing towards the Throstle Nest would greatly improve accessibility and safety for people using mobility scooters and facing similar challenges.

"We also discussed the quality of the surfaces of the pavements. Mrs Woodward explained how, when you're on a mobility scooter, the uneven and poorly maintained pavement surfaces can be very uncomfortable and even dangerous. I must agree with her that some areas were particularly uncomfortable and at one point I almost toppled out.

"I wholeheartedly support Mrs Woodward's case."

The streets of Wigton are known for their narrow pavements (Image: Jimmy Moorhouse)

This is an issue that is close to Alan Pitcher's heart. The former mayor's daughter Isobel also uses a mobility scooter and struggles to get around Wigton safely. 

She said: "Getting around Wigton isn't easy if you're disabled or elderly, which you don't fully appreciate when you're able-bodied. On the surface, it seems like access is good. All our shops, dentist, healthcare centre, library, cafes and supermarkets are located on or just off two main streets but because it's a historic market town, the pavements get pretty narrow in some places.

"This is part of what gives Wigton its charm and character and obviously the town wasn't built with disabled people in mind hundreds of years ago. But the council could do something about dropped kerbs, which would make it far easier to navigate. Most of the 'dropped kerbs' aren't actually level, they've still got a significant step to go up, for example the zebra crossing on King Street.

"It's 'not that big', but if you're using a scooter or wheelchair, you have to slow down to go up it, which isn't obvious to drivers and means you're stuck in the road for longer than you need to be and the drivers usually start to pull away while you're trying to go up it as they don't see why you have to slow down and approach it cautiously so you don't tip yourself off.

"Because the kerbs like this aren't level and you have to 'bump' yourself up them, they're usually also damaged or crumbling from overuse, which makes the kerb rocky as well, and means you have to approach it with even more caution so you don't tip off. The dropped kerbs don't always match up, in that you can start crossing the road on one side and not be able to get back up onto the pavement on the other side, like at the Park Road/West Road junction.

"The width of the pavement make some of them pretty scary to be on, for example, the roads getting to the co-op, which then isn't helped when people park on the pavement or across the 'dropped' kerb. The new double yellow lines have actually made this worse, because cars are now parking on the pavement rather than next to it so that they're not on the yellow double lines, creating another obstacle or barrier.  

"You have to factor all these things in when planning your route from A to B, for example you can't cut through Water Street because there isn't a pavement down there for some parts of it which means you have to cross the road two or three times as it is, but you can't always do that because there aren't any dropped kerbs. And if there's an obstacle like a van or car parked, you have to turn around and find another route, which is not always possible, or wait for the person to come back to the vehicle.

"On top of that, you have to work around other pedestrians because there are so many places which are too narrow for people to pass let alone with a wheelchair, scooter or pram and a person to pass safely without someone having to go in the road.

"There isn't a lot that can be done about pavement width or camber, nor would you want to because that's part of the quirks of the town. But if the council were to redo and/or repair the current dropped kerbs so that they're safe, level and so that they're opposite each other rather than a mismatch, it would suddenly make the town a lot more accessible and allow lots of us who are disabled or elderly the opportunity to enjoy our town independently without having to worry about falling or suffering an injury."

A Cumberland council spokesperson said: "We are currently investigating the need for a zebra crossing on King Street in Wigton. This was prompted by concerns regarding pedestrian safety whilst crossing Station Road, a busy road in the town. We believe that a crossing on King Street, in the vicinity of The Throstles Nest, would be a more appropriate location. This proposed site is also advantageous due to its proximity to the local bus stops.

"Once a provisional suitable location has been determined we will consult the local community. We continue to engage with our local community about the concerns they have and any issues can be reported online."