Petition to improve policies affecting older and less able residents of Camden

To: All Councillors of Camden Council

CEO of Camden Council

Leader of Camden Council

WHAT THIS IS ABOUT

As residents of Camden, we’re dismayed by the damaging effect of the Council’s policies on a significant part of our community. Older and less able residents (‘the Forgotten of Camden’) are getting a raw deal.

The Council’s anti-car policies consistently ignore our needs and the challenges we face.  Many of us feel disenfranchised.

The Council has a legal duty to think about the impact of its policies on protected groups such as older people (the public sector equality duty) and make adjustments for disabled residents to meet their specific needs. It’s not doing this. 

On moral and social grounds, too, it should ensure we can access public services and participate in the community like everyone else.

A FEW EXAMPLES

·         Digital access to information and parking excludes those of us who aren’t IT literate and don’t use computers or smart phones. We must have access too. 

·         We’re all for cycling, but not at the expense of our rights of access. There must be a balance. Many of us can’t cycle or walk uphill – even cyclists find it steep in NW3. We need a car to get around. Cycle lanes on Haverstock Hill must allow us to park by the shops or cross the road without being knocked over by a cyclist as we get off the bus.

·         The healthy school streets scheme severely affects some of us who need people to come to our home at restricted times, such as:

-       carers or tradespeople

-       taxi drivers to and from medical appointments 

-       friends or family 

This prevents us from leading a normal life. That’s discriminatory.

·         Those of us in Netherhall and Maresfield Gardens, Nutley Terrace and much of Belsize Park can’t get to the shops and services of Finchley Road, Hampstead, Belsize Park or Belsize Village on foot – it’s too far or too hilly. 

·         Public transport isn’t the answer if you can’t walk uphill to reach it, or it’s not step-free when you get there. That rules out all the local tube stations and the overground too. Without cars or taxis, we’re housebound. This is unfair and undemocratic.

·         There aren’t enough dropped curbs for those of us using wheelchairs to get around.

WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN

We urge Camden Council to:

·         Work with us to review the impact of its policies on older and less able residents, to identify what needs to change. And engage with us on new policies.

·         Ensure public facilities and services (such as public buildings, transport and communication) are accessible to everyone, including those with disabilities.

·         Increase support services for older and less able individuals to help them live independently, for example, home aid, transport assistance and healthcare.

·         Provide awareness and education programmes for the community on the needs and rights of older and less able residents to foster understanding and respect.

We look forward to your commitment to implement these essential steps to make Camden the inclusive, supportive and fair-minded community it aspires to be. 

The image is an example of the steep hills we have to negotiate.  This one is between Netherhall Gardens and the Finchley Road.