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Councillors press for clarity after gate installation on Lower Eastgate Street
Summary
Councillors raised concerns that newly installed gates on Lower Eastgate Street may have delayed an emergency response; officers said the gates did not introduce new access restrictions and that ambulances have long used alternative routes (Nettleton Road, Wellington Street).
Councillors pressed officers at the cabinet meeting about emergency access after replacement gates were installed on Lower Eastgate Street. One councillor said an ambulance had to wait for the gates to be reopened ‘‘which took apparently took over 20 minutes,’’ raising public‑safety concerns.
The managing director and officers said the installation "has not introduced any new access restrictions to the area," noting that before the gates were installed the street ends were already controlled under a longstanding road‑traffic order with retractable bollards and traffic barriers. "Access to the area has always been and remains via Nettleton Road and Wellington Street," an officer told cabinet. He added that all emergency services are aware of those arrangements and have used the alternative routes "for over a decade."
Cabinet members said they would monitor any future delays through the summer months and review whether additional local key‑holding arrangements or stewarding are required. One cabinet member acknowledged the councillor's safety concern and offered to follow up and investigate the specific incident.
Article provenance: issue raised in public/members questions (Lower Eastgate street gates) and responded to by officers and the managing director.
