DERBY TODAY

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People in Derby who claim incapacity benefit might soon have to travel to Nottingham for medical assessments. Atos Origin is planning to cut its medical examination centres from 50 to 29, including the centres in Becket Street. Atos was awarded a new government contract to provide medical assessments and advice on benefit claims. Included is the stipulation that people should not have to spend more than 90 minutes travelling on public transport to get to and from a centre. An Atos spokeswoman said that the firm was "confident" that it would still be able to meet the 90-minute rule with a reduced number of examination centres and when a claimant is too ill or in "exceptional" cases, the firm promised to arrange a home visit or pay for a taxi.

Derby City Council is considering a policy of zero tolerance towards advertising boards on pavements. The council's disabled people's advisory committee has recommended the policy to the cabinet following increasing complaints from Derbyshire Association for the Blind (DAB) members, wheelchair-users and parents with pushchairs.

Pat Taylor, chief executive of DAB, said that the situation had become so bad in Derby in recent years that many visually-impaired people were now afraid to visit the city centre. She said, "A-boards are a menace to blind and partially-sighted people. But it's not just blind people, it's people with wheelchairs and it's mums with pushchairs."

She said that it was encouraging that the city council was now looking at the issue 'in a positive manner'. "The nice thing is that the association and Derby City Council are working through the disabled people's advisory committee to resolve this issue. It's been a real uphill climb because it's been going on since the 90s. But it's 2004 now and it has to be resolved. It's now come to a head," said Ms Taylor.

City council leader Maurice Burgess, deputy leader Councillor Philip Hickson and Councillor Lucy Care, cabinet member for planning, transportation and environment, will be among those making the decision on a zero tolerance policy. If approved, the council would discuss the implications with traders and with other local authorities which already operate a zero tolerance policy, such as Leeds City Council.

Mick Watts, access officer for Derby City Council, said, "There's no doubt there's been an increase in the number of A-boards in Derby, particularly in the city centre." Ian Ferguson, chief executive officer for Derby Chamber of Trade, said, "I'd welcome a discussion on the issue. They can create quite a barrier to people and can get out-of-hand at times." Street furniture such as cycle racks, litter bins and advertising posts, which are scattered around the city, presumably don't create a hazard to disabled people.

Stores in the city centre will have to remove their A-boards from the streets when new rules come into force on April 1. The city council has decided that the signs will not be allowed on city streets unless businesses can prove that they are the only way that they can advertise their company to shoppers and other clients. The aim is to make the city centre an easier place for disabled people to get around and the decision will see the majority of the A-boards disappear.

Many city-centre businesses said that about 50% of their trade came as a result of the advertising boards outside their shops. The council is issuing guidelines to businesses in Victoria Street, Albion Street, Albert Street, Corn Market and Friar Gate, where it says businesses will struggle to advertise without A-boards. This is because the majority cannot attach signs to their buildings because they are listed and the advice will detail the sorts of boards businesses in these streets can use and where they should be sited. (Source: Derby Evening Telegraph, Mar/07)

Derby City Council is continuing its obliteration of any character left to Derby to complete the inner ring road. I was born and grew up in Derby in the 50s and 60s and witnessed the indiscriminate destruction of fantastic 17th-century and 18th-century buildings in the name of progress and transport. Derby needs to retain every vestige of character it has left. People flock to towns and cities where there is an abundance of preserved and valued historical architecture and these buildings are appreciated and admired. I don't think many people would be drawn to visit Derby because of its new road system.

The ignorance of the philistines on the council who have the privilege of making decisions on behalf of Derby council tax payers is astounding. Have they learned nothing over the past 40 years? One of the councillors referred to the "silent majority" as being quietly supportive of this latest folly. Really? On what does he base this view? Has it not occurred to the council that most people do not have the energy or interest to oppose what they probably see as a done deal? Who is responsible for this mad idea? Rosemary Perry

Imagine an inner city wildlife haven, grown up over the decades from a disused station and sidings, as nature has gradually taken over. With such a variety of habitats - woodland, shrubs, hedgerow, meadow and an amazing variety of wild flowers (some county rarities); something like 20 species of butterfly, which in itself is remarkable; nesting birds in the spring, one of the best wildlife sites in the city. Imagine it as a nature reserve, but not only that, a public place too, somewhere for all to enjoy, and an educational resource, school party visits perhaps looking at the station's illustrious past; shored up and made safe here and there but with its diversity and natural history value assured.

Maintained by wildlife organisations and the city council; surrounded by built environment but remaining a green and quiet oasis, for trees and flowers and butterflies and birds and people. And with 19th-century goods warehouse, Grade II-listed, monumental and once derelict, rescued and sensitively restored, in productive but unobtrusive commercial use. Now imagine the place as Cityscape and developers see it. Concrete and asphalt, row upon row of apartments and terraces. Oh, and perhaps some bars. Yeah, we need more bars. The warehouse gutted, split up into apartments, or maybe even demolished and all overshadowed by a multi-storey car park.

Some trees, yes, just a few, to look nice and give a bit of a natural feel. A bit of close-mown grass, but nothing untidy. And most of the greenery sited along the putative bus route (it is, after all, expendable). Wildlife? Sorry, no room. Yes, that's Friar Gate station site, that was. Does it have to be? Felicity Jackson

Derby Community Safety Partnership has been looking at how it can bring down the number of crimes from 21,474 in 2003-4 to 17,164 by 2008. The partnership, which comprises Derbyshire police, Derby City Council and other agencies, wants to bring down violence by 12%, domestic burglary by 40% and car crime by 22%. It aims to prioritise burglary, car crime and violent attacks, particularly in the city centre, Normanton, Allenton, Derwent, Sinfin and Morley, which suffer "disproportionately" from crime and disorder. Partnership director Sharon Squires said, "We're focusing on what residents want addressed in Derby, like reducing violent crime. We want to reassure people that Derby is a safe city to live in, without denying that crime does happen. I think the strategy addresses these concerns." Targeting binge drinking in the city centre is one of the key priorities for the partnership. (Source: Derby Evening Telegraph)