Concerns raised over A-boards cluttering the pavements in Bourton

ADVERTISING boards cluttering the pavements in Bourton-on-the-Water are said to be a danger to the disabled.

The parish council is accusing the business adverts of obstructing people in wheelchairs and those with difficulty walking.

But it claims its constant calls to the county council to clamp down on A-boards are "not responded to positively".

Now the irate council has pledged to ask a national disability organisation to conduct its own survey to back up its appeal for long overdue action.

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Speaking out at the last meeting, parish councillor Julian Stocker said county council local highways manager Bob Skillern had been taken around the village to show him the offending A-boards.

"He says he will be approaching businesses where he considers A-boards to be obstructive," he said. "It would be much better if he told us what he was going to look at and there are no time lines.

"It's half a solution to our problems. He's replied in a 26-item report but he's fudged it. We've been talking about this for a very long time and they're doing nothing about it. GCC are not responding positively."

Councillor Tim Faulkner said: "We need a professional body dealing with the disabled – if they started shouting the county council will take notice.

"They shouldn't have A-boards on a public right of way – they should pick them up and put them in a highways van."

Cirencester and South Cotswold Access Group has already compiled a report on general disabled access in the village.

Footpaths and traffic committee chairman Bill Wragge said the bottom of narrow Moore Road, where it meets the High Street, was a particular hazard.

Bourton Chamber of Commerce chairman Carol Teece said its members were asked to keep advertising to a minimum.

A county council spokesman said: "Mr Skillern knows which businesses are causing an obstruction on the footway and will be approaching them this week. But there must be a balance here and he will not be getting rid of all A-boards in Bourton."