Ageing Well in Penicuik
Ageing Well run health walks for older residents in Penicuik. The walkers arranged a street audit to assess their walking routes around the town centre. Following a winter of heavy snow, over thirty residents attended, all eager to help make the streets better for pedestrians. Their strength in numbers has certainly paid off when it has come to persuading the local authority to act on their recommendations.
The proportion of people aged 65 and over is rapidly increasing across Scotland. Physical activity like everyday walking, can improve health and help build older people’s social capital. The street audit was an ideal focus to bring a group of older residents together to take action on their local streets.
Living Streets met three walk group leaders to discuss potential routes to audit, choosing the shopping precinct, riverside walk, and housing estate. Three smaller groups were formed, each with one of the walk group leaders to facilitate their audit, which took place in January 2010. A vast array of photographs and notes were taken, many of which featured icy pavements and empty grit-bins - a result of the heavy snow in the weeks prior to the audit. The group identified the following other priorities:
- Measures to help pedestrians cross at a busy junction on the High Street
- Replacing broken paving slabs in the shopping precinct
- Large litter bins obstructing footways on the High Street on bin collection day
- Parked cars blocking access to the Town Hall and Leisure Centre.
The group sent their findings to Head of Corporate Services in the local authority who allocated them to the relevant department/officer. Town Hall employees and local businesses were politely asked if they could consider other locations for leaving bins to avoid obstructing footways on collection days. Fire safety services informed drivers that they could no longer park their cars directly outside the Town Hall as they require access. Remedial work has been carried out to replace broken paving slabs in the shopping precinct. The group have been meeting transport officers from the council to discuss options to make the junction on the High Street safer for crossing. A crossing survey has been carried out and the results are to be discussed with the elected members.
Speaking from experience:
- A friendly telephone call to the Head of Corporate Services in the council ensured the recommendations were passed to relevant departments
- It was important to gather a smaller group of committed individuals who could oversee the process and meet with council officers to discuss the collective view
- Meetings with council officers have taken place after the walks on a Friday morning which has suited participants and officers
- The street audit findings will be used by the group in their attempts to gain more influence in their area e.g. during elections
- The group decided to meet with transport officers before contacting elected members to discuss possible options. By doing this they ensured that they were well informed when lobbying their councillors
- After the audit the walkers began taking photographs on other walks to report issues to the council
- The experiences of participants were important to highlight in the findings (e.g. those who used mobility aids or had visual impairments)
- The audit enabled the groups to take the time and stop and discuss alternative ideas e.g. removing unnecessary road signs.