Council open £40,000 scheme for disability accessible benches

MID Ulster District Council is to open a £40,000 scheme that will see community groups across the district apply for accessible outdoor seating benches.

It is hoped the scheme, which was discussed at a meeting of Council’s development committee on Wednesday, December 8, will see an increase in social engagement and greater disability access to community activities.

Members of the committee were informed there are a number of groups and communities who are keen to provide accessible benches within their own facilities.

As such, officers have suggested the council opens a scheme allowing for the delivery of an accessible outdoor bench or funding to purchase an accessible outdoor bench through an open request process.

It was made clear that funding will only be issued to a registered community/voluntary group, with a constitution, annual AGM and one that operates as a not-for-profit group delivering within Mid Ulster District Council.

The scheme, which will be targeted at 1,500 community groups across the district, will open in early January and close after two weeks.

The recommendations from this process will be brought to February’s meeting of the development committee for letters of offer and funding to be issued and provide the successful applicants with six weeks to complete the project.

Successful applicants will either be supplied with an accessible bench or receive a funding contribution up to the value of £500 to purchase an accessible bench and must provide evidence the outdoor seating benches have been installed in an accessible location by mid-March.

It is anticipated the scheme will cost £40,000 with £27,000 of this coming from the Department for Communities £5,000 from the council’s community commemoration plan and a total of £8,000 from its good relations programme.

Councillor Cora Corry proposed that the council agrees to deliver the scheme and officers begin the process of seeking quotations for the purchase of these benches but asked what would happen if the programme was over subscribed.

“I think it is a great idea, it is good for inclusion, getting people out and about and all that,” said Cllr Corry.

“Just one question, if the programme is over subscribed how is it going to work? Is it going to be on a first come first serve basis as I think it will be very popular.”

A council officer told the meeting that if the programme was over subscribed, officers would have to bring the item back to members to look at reallocating funds from the community grants programme.

“It is that or we will have to look at the alternatives. It cannot be first come first serve as the open call for applications is closed on a set date,” said the officer.

Councillor Dan Kerr described the programme as “very worthwhile” and said he was happy to second the proposal while Councillor Malachy Quinn described it as a “fantastic idea” that “will be welcomed right across the district”.

BY ADAM MORTON