“This is a thing to celebrate,” says Valerie Smith, community advocate and Huntleigh resident. The residents and staff of Huntleigh Home and Apartments organised a street party and ‘official opening’ of the new raised crossing, with Valerie giving a speech before cutting an enormous green ribbon on the crossing.
The importance of the crossing to the residents is huge. Many have arrived on mobility scooters and motorised wheelchairs, others have walking sticks. Valerie is clear about what the raised crossing means for her and her neighbours.
“We want to be part of our community as much as possible, and the steep kerb on Campbell Street was limiting our access. When I came here, I could never get to the shops in my wheelchair. It’s now much easier to go to and from the shops and public library and finally be part of the community. It’s taken a lot of meetings and emails but we are really appreciative of this,” she says.
“And it’s not just for us. It’s also for the mums with pushchairs, and the young school children who cross this road every morning and afternoon.”