A fresh plea to include visually impaired residents and other members of the disabled community in future discussions over the Avenues project has been issued by a Glasgow councillor.
During Wednesday’s economy and housing committee meeting, Councillor Robert Mooney raised concerns on behalf of the blind community who he says do not feel like they have been listened to when designing the scheme.
It comes after a new report was presented to elected members highlighting the work the £123 million project had already carried out.
With four fully completed and a further seven now under construction, the Avenues programme includes lining streets with hundreds of new trees, improving lighting features, installing rain gardens and additional greenery, and introducing new cycle lanes.
But Councillor Mooney asked officers if disabled residents, particularly those with impaired vision, had been consulted throughout the design process.
An officer confirmed that a meeting had been arranged for the end of the year as most of the design had been concluded for the avenues.
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He said: “This will be through local forums like community councils, and as Broomielaw comes online we will be engaging with the wider communities in terms of public meetings and meetings with Visibility Scotland.”
Councillor Mooney then stressed that disability groups don’t feel like they have been listened to with no consultations arranged in the last year.
He said: “I am in constant contact with disability organisations who sit on the accessible design forum but they don’t feel like they are being listened to.
“They have not had a meeting in over a year and as you will know I am visually impaired myself. There have been things put in place on Sauchiehall Street over the last few months and it really isn’t accessible.
“If you had been speaking to organisations for the blind they would have explained the problems they are facing.
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“No disabled person or organisation in this city feels like they have been listened to with the new Avenues project. If you are blind, you are never going to get everything perfect, you are always going to come up against barriers but we can make things a lot easier.
“The only way things are going to get a lot easier is if you have a conversation with these organisations.”
Avenues are currently ongoing at Argyle Street West, Cowcaddens Road and Dobbies’ Loan, Duke Street and John Knox Street, North Hanover Street and Kyle Street, and South Portland Street. Most of these ongoing projects will be complete in Spring 2026, with North Hanover Street Avenue expected to be complete in November 2026.
The final Avenue – at the Broomielaw – will begin in 2027.
More information on the Avenues programme, which will be fully completed by 2029, is available at www.glasgow.gov.uk/avenues.
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