A county councillor has highlighted the difficulty some disabled residents have in getting around their own neighbourhoods.

Liberal Democrat Barbara Gibson says missing dropped kerbs, overgrown vegetation and uneven surfaces mean some residents can’t even get to the local shops or GP surgeries.

Last Wednesday she raised her concerns at a meeting of the county council’s highways and environment cabinet panel.

“I spend a lot of time with older people and people with mobility issues,” she said.

“I have gone out several times on tours with them in wheelchairs or mobility scooters and been really surprised and shocked by how many barriers they encounter, just to get out in their neighbourhoods.”

Presenting a motion, initially presented to full council in November, she said residents being able to access and  participate in their own communities was a human rights issue.

And she called for a review of footways to identify barriers to access across the county, as well as for a designated council officer to be responsible for disability access issues and for a new mechanism for reporting issues.

At the meeting, Chris Allen-Smith the county council’s head of profession, asset management and maintenance pointed to ongoing work to encourage walking, cycling and public transport – and to projects to ensure highways maintenance supported this.

He said that although the council did regular condition and safety inspections, additional tasks could not be added without impacting on the schedule.

And he said the cost of a one-off survey to look at footways would be around £250,000.

However Cllr Colin Woodward – highlighting the council’s “one and done” policy – said he was “puzzled” by this.

At the end of the discussion, executive member for highways Cllr Phil Bibby noted there had been a lot of sympathy with Cllr Gibson’s motion.

And while he said he didn’t necessarily agree with the solutions, he said officers would return to panel with a formal report on the issue.

Following the meeting, Cllr Gibson said: “This potentially represents real progress toward making pavements fit for use by wheelchair and mobility scooter users and those with other visual and mobility impairments.”