Lib Dem councillor raises alarm over slow progress on accessibility issues

Liberal Democrat councillor Matt Mellor, who represents Walpole ward, has publicly expressed frustration at the pace at which accessibility problems affecting residents are being resolved.

He identified three parties as responsible: Ealing Council, Thames Water and leisure facilities operator Everyone Active. The difficulties are real, he said, especially for older people, disabled residents and families with pushchairs.

Delays in repairs, modernisation work and the removal of barriers are making daily movement around the area harder than it should be. Mellor stressed that residents should not have to wait months for solutions that ought to be treated as a priority.

Everyone Active has a new 10-year contract and plans investments in facilities, including accessibility improvements. Thames Water regularly features in complaints about infrastructure, while the council is responsible for coordination.

The opposition councillor’s intervention puts accessibility back on the agenda. For many residents the issue comes down to practical barriers such as stairs, lifts, pavements and local facilities they use every day.