A NATIONAL inquiry into the accessibility of public spaces will look at shared space schemes like those in Boscombe and at Horseshoe Common.

The parliamentary Women and Equalities Committee is currently inviting submissions from the public on whether such schemes create barriers for disabled people, and whether “the needs of all groups” are given adequate consideration in urban design.

Committee chairman Maria Miller MP (pictured) said: “We need to ensure that buildings and public spaces are as accessible and inclusive as possible, and that communities can fully engage with the process of decision making that shapes the accessibility of the built environment.”

Among those urging people to take part is Sarah Gayton, from the National Federation of the Blind, who has been submitting to the inquiry articles from the Daily Echo chronicling crashes and near misses which have occurred at the town’s shared spaces since they were established last year.

“The Government has got to know there is something seriously wrong with these schemes,” she said, saying research on other media sites and through Freedom of Information requests had revealed many people reporting trips and crashes in shared space areas.

“Their design is flawed in all these ways. Now there is a national inquiry we need people to be open and honest.”

The Boscombe scheme, by McDonalds at the western end of the Christchurch Road precinct, has been the subject of an enduring debate between critics who have argued it is “only a matter of time” before a serious crash occurs, and Bournemouth council, which says the area is now safer for pedestrians and drivers alike.

Last month spherical bollards were installed along the edge of the carriageway by the council at a cost of £17,875 as a “finishing, decorative touch”.

There were two minor crashes there late last year.

In October, a BMW hit a bin and a bench and ended up by the ‘Tardis’ police box during the early hours of the morning when there were no pedestrians about.

Shared space schemes are intended to make public open spaces more attractive and open to pedestrians by removing barriers and road signs, encouraging drivers to move more slowly as a result of uncertainty.

Critics say the changed road layout can present problems to people with disabilities such as blindness, as well as putting pedestrians at risk.