A partially sighted Harrogate man has said it’s ‘shameful’ that many pedestrian crossings in Harrogate town centre do not make a beeping noise to let blind or visually impaired people know it is safe to cross.

John Raho, 80, relies on the noise to help him cross the road safely when vehicles stop and the green man appears.

But from the top of Cheltenham Parade up Station Parade and to the Victoria Avenue junction, 9 out of 10 crossings did not make any noise at all when the Stray Ferret tested them yesterday.

Similarly, the crossing by the Odeon cinema does not make a beeping noise.

Mr Raho said:

“I rely on the beep as a reassurance but I noticed that so many of them are not working.

“They are an essential bit of kit. It’s not big science.”

This crossing on Station Parade does not currently make a beeping noise.

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North Yorkshire County Council, which is in charge of highways in the district, is not legally obliged to add beeping noises to pedestrian crossings.

To avoid confusion, it might not have two machines beeping that are close together.

Some crossings may also have a small plastic or metal cone that can be touched. It turns when the green man lights up to indicate it is safe to cross.

This pelican crossing is the only one that beeps on Station Parade.

‘A reassurance’

However, Mr Raho said the beeping noise should be essential to improve town centre access for visually impaired people.

He said:

“It’s a reassurance for me, for others with worse eyesight it’s absolutely essential. You have to be careful.”

Mr Raho said he can just about make out a blurry green man on the other side of the road, but without a sound to guide him, he tries to take his cue from other people.

“It’s alright if other people are crossing, but people do rush across the road. 

“If someone gets knocked down, then it is bad news.”

A North Yorkshire County Council spokesperson asked Mr Raho to report any machines that are not working correctly via its website. They added that until he did so it was unable to comment.

Accessibility to Ripon Arts Hub has been dramatically improved with the introduction of a wheelchair lift.

For David Suddards, this means that he can now watch performances at the hub’s downstairs studio theatre with his wife Josie.

Mr Suddards, a wheelchair user, played a key role in raising awareness of the need for access for disabled people at the Allhallowgate building

This in turn led to successful applications for funding, which enabled purchase of the £12,000 lift and its installation, plus another £2,000 for associated building works.

The wheelchair lift means that disabled people can access the hub’s downstairs theatre.

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The lift was officially opened by Mr Suddards, when he became its first passenger.

He told the Stray Ferret:

“It’s great to know that I can come to enjoy performances here and accompany my wife. Up until now I hadn’t been able to attend the studio theatre and the same applied to other people in wheelchairs.”

The opening was attended by Jeremy Dunford, a trustee of Ripon Disability Forum and also a wheelchair user.

He said:

“I’m pleased to know that disabled people now have access to watching theatre and other performances at the Arts Hub.

“They have the same right as an able-bodied person to be given access to facilities in the city and if you provide access for people with disabilities, you also make a building more accessible for other people, such as parents with prams and pushchairs.”

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Hub committee member and fundraiser Hannah Ruddy said:

“Improving accessibility for visitors and performers was a top priority when we drew up plans to reconfigure the building, to turn it into a flexible space for use by all elements of the arts community, as well as other visitors.

“In addition to the lift, we have an accessible toilet on the ground floor and have widened doorways to the green room and studio which also helps people with impaired sight.

“Once we’ve raised more funds, the next stage is to introduce a toilet for people with access requirements on the lower ground floor.”

Ripon’s main Post Office is moving from Finkle Street to a more easily accessible retail unit in The Arcade, off Market Place.

Postmistress Amy Kaur, told The Stray Ferret:

“We have wanted to move for some time, because the steps outside our current premises make access difficult for the elderly, disabled, wheelchair users and people with children in prams and pushchairs.”

The city’s Post Office (pictured) has been in Finkle Street for more than 60 years and over the last six decades the services it provides have evolved.

Amy, pointed out:

“In additional to selling postage stamps, accepting parcels for delivery, paying out pensions, handling passport and driving licence applications and car tax renewals, we provide financial services ranging from travel currency to business banking and cash and cheque transactions.”

The new unit in The Arcade, which has street-level access, will be fully operational by September, when Amy and her colleagues Raj Raj, Sue Lewis and Gordon Royle move to the new location.

As well as providing the full range of Post Office services, the office will include a Quidz In value store.

A key element of the service provided is also expanding – as the mobile  Post Office unit headed by Gordon Royle, now covers 22 towns and villages in the  Ripon area, with the possibility of a further two locations to be added.

Gordon, said: “During the current coronavirus crisis, when many people living in rural communities remain isolated in their homes and unable to travel to Ripon, the mobile service has grown in popularity.”