By Cllr Rachel Burgess
Until I became a councillor, I had no idea how much of a detrimental effect an uneven, narrow or cluttered stretch of pavement can have for those who are less mobile.
For those lucky enough to be young and agile it may be scarcely noticeable, but it is not until you listen to the stories of older and less able people that you realise how difficult or unpleasant poorly-maintained pavements can make their lives.
Some of the pavements in my ward of Norreys are in a poor state, with cracked, uneven or overly-sloped surfaces.
This makes them extremely hard to navigate for many, especially those who are less agile, those who are visually impaired, those with walkers, those in mobility scooters or wheelchairs, as well as parents with pushchairs.
The difficulties caused by this state of disrepair can be compounded by pavement clutter from advertising A boards, abandoned traffic road signs to navigate around, cars parking on the pavement forcing people into the road, or e-scooters rushing past at speed.
All this can make a simple walk to the shops an unnecessarily stressful and challenging experience for many.
One resident told me how she is nervous to go out in her mobility scooter to get into town – which should be a 10-minute journey – because of the bumpy, uneven pavement and the frequent slopes on the pavements, that makes her feel her scooter is going to topple over. Residents in wheelchairs have to deal with a lack of dropped kerbs on some walking routes, which can cause them to have very uncomfortable journeys, or even fall out of their chairs.
Others who walk are scared they will have a fall, due to the trip hazards caused by the poor state of some of the pavements.
This means they have to concentrate hard on the path in front of them, as opposed to enjoying the fresh air or passing the time of day with those around them.
Not everyone can rely on a car to get from A to B; many of the residents who contact me about this issue don’t drive so their only alternative is an often stressful walk or wheel into town, or avoiding going out altogether.
A survey by Living Streets, a charity that promotes everyday walking, found that nearly one in three older adults nationally (aged 65 and over) are prevented from walking more or at all on their local streets because of cracked and uneven pavements.
A bad fall can happen to anyone, but older people are disproportionately affected.
It is tragic to think of the benefits these residents are losing if they avoid going out because they don’t feel safe, such as the benefits to their health and well-being from the exercise and social stimulation.
We could really make people’s lives so much better if we could just fix the pavements.
It is not just those who are older or less able that this problem affects. Many parents would be much more likely to walk their child to school if the walking route was smoother and safer, providing the obvious benefits to their health, to the environment, and to congestion, as well as the pleasure of having that daily opportunity to communicate and bond with their children about the day ahead, or the day just gone.
For these parents and their children, we need to make walking in Wokingham a much more pleasant experience, so it can be a genuine, workable alternative to car use.
Much of the decline in our pavements is a result of the huge cuts in funding that Wokingham Borough Council has undergone since 2010. But the perilous state of some of our pavements does not get the attention it deserves.
Potholes attract a lot of attention, both in complaints but also in relation to funding provided to fix them. But what about our footways, where are the big announcements about ringfenced funding for pavements?
The Council’s local transport plan is currently under consultation, and while there is a welcome focus on the importance of walking/wheeling therein, there is no specific mention about the quality of pavements and the need to improve them.
It is important for people to raise awareness of these issues by taking part in the consultation – it can be found on the Council’s Engage website and is open until March 8 2024 (paper copies are also available).
Residents deserve to be able to walk or wheel easily around their local area, on safe, smooth walking routes, without fear of a fall due to a poorly maintained pavement or worries about other safety concerns.
But our often cluttered, uneven, messy and difficult pavements make this impossible for many.
We should be making it safer and easier for everyone to walk or wheel in and around Wokingham. It’s time we prioritised our pavements.
Cllr Rachel Burgess is Labour ward member for Norreys on Wokingham Borough Council
