Report of the City Solicitor

This report sets out the intended approach for a review of how the Council engages with disabled residents, to act upon the Council’s previously stated commitment to embed disability inclusion and accessibility considerations in the design and development of Manchester’s capital and public realm projects.

The Committee received a report of the City Solicitor which set out the intended approach for a review of how the Council engaged with disabled residents, to act upon the Council’s previously stated commitment to embed disability inclusion and accessibility considerations in the design and development of Manchester’s capital and public realm projects.

The report stated that embedding effective processes for accessibility for disabled people would ensure that Equality Impact Assessments (EIAs) would recognise that climate change might have differential and unique impacts on disabled people’s communities across the city, for example in terms of poor air quality, more frequent incidences of extreme weather and initiatives to reduce car journeys or the use of plastics. 

The Chair outlined the context within which the report was requested, noting the desire to learn from and rectify the issues which had become apparent when an inaccessible design for the Peterloo Memorial was approved.

Officers referred to the main points and themes within the report which included:

·         Review of engagement mechanisms with disabled residents;

• Internal engagement;
• External research and engagement;
• Inclusive design round table;
• Outcomes and scope;
• Proposed timescales; and
• Communication.

Some of the key points that arose from the Committee’s discussions were:

• To welcome this review and to recognise the contribution of the Lead Member for Disability in this work;
• That the timescale for this work seemed long and what were the reasons for this;
• How the Council would ensure that partners, such as companies contracted to undertake building work, aligned with the Council’s policies;
• Whether some of the work taking place in Manchester could in future be expanded across Greater Manchester; and
• Concern that there was a shortage of accessible housing for disabled people and to ask what data was available on future need and what could be done to plan for this.

The Director of Policy, Performance and Reform reported that the timescales had been set to allow time for a good consultation with a range of people and to engage with different areas of the Council, as well as to allow for other work that the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Team was involved in; however, he advised that the team was not waiting until the review was finished to start making improvements to processes.

The Director of Policy, Performance and Reform reported that the Council used its Ethical Procurement Policy to require contractors to comply with its standards and that the Council was in discussion with other partners about this approach including discussions with Greater Manchester partners on adopting a consistent approach to ethical procurement.

The Equalities Specialist advised Members that she would discuss the issue of accessible housing with colleagues in the housing service as part of the review.

In response to a Member’s question, the Equalities Specialist informed Members that the Our Manchester Disability Plan Board and its Access Subgroup would be involved in the review.  The Chair encouraged both Members and officers to consider, and to ask other stakeholders, whether there was anyone else who should be involved in this review.

Decision

To request that the Committee receive a further report after the Inclusive Design Round Table meeting in October 2020.