NEW shared space schemes should be halted and existing schemes reviewed for their impact on disabled people, a Government committee says.

Shared space schemes have been introduced at Horseshoe Common and in Boscombe precinct in Bournemouth in recent years, provoking complaints from some residents that they had led to more crashes and near-misses.

Now the Department for Transport's Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee has called for a halt to the Government's policy of encouraging shared space schemes, and for any existing spaces to be "the subject of detailed independent evaluation, evidence gathering and impact assessments, with the involvement of disabled people".

The news has been welcomed by the National Federation of the Blind of the UK.

The charity's 'street access executive' David Bates said: "The evidence is overwhelming that urgent action is required to bring an end to shared space roads and to halt the misery and devastating impact this road design has had on the lives of blind, partially sighted and deaf-blind people across the UK.

"Blind people, with no sight, can independently navigate the urban environment through the use of kerbs and controlled crossings, taking away these features takes away this ability and leaves blind people avoiding the areas or relying on sighted assistance, which is totally against the principles of the Public Sector Equality Duty placed on local authorities under the Equality Act 2010.

"Urgent action is now required to ensure all town and cities which have undergone this transformation, need to be revised and modified to ensure access for all. It is critical that we leave no one behind, and we design our urban environments and public realm based on inclusive design principles and guidance developed with disabled people."

The charity said it had used Daily Echo articles among others to lobby the Government claiming shared space schemes are "not fit for purpose".

Sarah Newton MP, Minister for Disabled People, has written to the Department for Transport calling on it to instruct local authorities "to gather meaningful statistical data on pedestrian accidents within shared space locations and to understand how many people are avoiding shared space as they feel vulnerable".