Guide Dogs and the RNIB have produced a joint letter to local authorities in regard to pavement licensing and the new Business and Planning Act. 

The joint letter, addressed to councillors, said: “Guide Dogs and RNIB have serious concerns about the proliferation of temporary street furniture, which can act as an obstacle to people with vision impairment or limited mobility. We remain concerned at the dramatically shortened consultation period, and the prospect of applications being automatically accepted if local authorities are unable to respond in time.”

In the letter ... asked licensing authorities to “...use your powers to set local conditions for licenses to ensure that high streets remain accessible and that these conditions are enforced. We recommend that furniture be located on the carriageway where possible to enable social distancing, and where furniture is approved, existing obstacles such as A-boards are removed.”