Response 3868398

Response to request for information

Reference

3868398

Response date

23 December 2025

Request

I write to you in relation to the installed gates at numerous points to Rushcliffe Country Park.

Prior to these installed gates, the wooden access points more so allowed access for those using wheelchairs, mobility scooters, bicycles and well as adapted bikes such as handcycles, cargocycles and bicycles with tag-along trailers; these types of longer, less manoeuvrable cycles and mobility aids were able to pass. They needed further modification to allow for unhindered access.

However, since the addition of these newer gates, these points have now become accessible to people who can walk only, making it impassable to other legitimate users of the park. Not everyone has a special access key, not everyone can dismount and this is not an adequate solution here.

1. When were these gates installed?
2. Why were these gates installed here rather than retractable bollards? Stopping and deterring illegal motorcycle usage is not a reasonable excuse for stopping legitimate users and breaching the Equality Act 2010. The motorcycle usage should be a matter for the police.
3. Was an Equality Impact Assessment carried out at this location, as required by the Equality Act 2010 S.149, prior to the installation of this barrier.
4. Could you please provide a copy of that Equality Impact Assessment.
5. Who installed this gate?
6. Who approved this gate?
7. I note that Rushcliffe Country Park is advertised as having an accessible cycle route here on visitnottinghamshire.co.uk but it cannot be accessed because of these gates.
8. I note this country park falls under the remit of Rushcliffe Borough Council.
9. Were they consulted prior to installation?
10. If so, what was the response?
11. If they did not approve, why was this ignored / overruled / disregarded, and by whom?
12. If they did approve, please provide evidence to support this.
13. Just a few months ago, as part of Rushcliffe Borough Council's Walking and Cycling Plan,a walking, wheeling and cycling event was hosted at the park. The park is part of a signposted and advertised local route, it is not unreasonable to expect cyclists, including disabled and adaptive cyclists, to wish to pass through here, as they are legally entitled to do.
14. It is also reasonable to assume that many cyclists, wheelchair and mobility scooter users trying to enter at these points will not be familiar with the immediate local area, and may struggle to find and to try to pass an alternative route through the bushes.
15. I remind you that dismounting is not an option for the majority of wheelchair and mobility scooter users and those on adaptive cycles, such as handcycles, trikes and so on, and requiring to dismount for users of such cycles is a contravention of EA2010 S.20(3)(4), and constitutes an act of direct discrimination under Equality Act 2010, Section 21.
16. What provision has been made for the passage of cyclists along this signposted cycle route, with regards to this gate?
17. What provision has been made for cargobikes, tricyclists, and adaptive cycles in general?
18. How would a cargobike pass through here? (Assume length of 2.15, width 89cm)
19. How would a recumbent handcycle pass through here? (Assume 2.2m length, 5.5m turning radius - not an extreme example, fairly typical).
20. How would an upright handcycle pass through here? (Assume 1.8m length, 5.5m turning radius - again, not extreme, fairly typical)
21. How would a wheelchair with a clip-on handcycle pass through here? (assume length of 1.6m, width of 72cm at the bottom, 74cm at the cranks - Again, not extreme, fairly typical)
22. The UK Government has recently embarked on a programme of encouraging the construction, provision and improvement of cycling infrastructure (LTN 1/20).
23. Please explain how the installation of this gate, and the subsequent de facto banning of disabled cyclists from this route, aligns with this programme?
24. The Equality Act 2010, Section 20 contains a number of stipulations with regards to provisions, practices, criterion and physical features. These are legal obligations, and as such, not optional. The Equality Act 2010, Section 20 is henceforth referred to as and by "S.20".
25. Please clarify how the installation of these gates aligns with S.20(3).
26. Please clarify how the installation of these gates aligns with S.20(4).
27. Please clarify how the installation of these gatesaligns with S.20(7).
28. Please clarify how the installation of these gates barrier aligns with S.20(9).
29. Please clarify how the installation of these gatesaligns with S.20(10).
30. I again remind you that expecting disabled cyclists to dismount is a violation of S.20(3). I also remind you that expecting disabled cyclists to go a long way out of their way to avoid this barrier is a violation of S.20(3),(4).
31. Finally, I expect immediate and urgent action to be taken in order to bring these gate into compliance with the above legislation.
32. Please explain what immediate steps will be taken to allow inclusive and disabled accessibility for the above route.
33. Please provide the correct contact point for any further actions, including for any potential Letter(s) Before Action(s) to be addressed to.
34. Please provide the requested information in either table, or bullet pointed format, addressing each question raised fully in turn. Please do not use "Refer to previous answer N", as none of my questions are likely to be satisfactorily answered by a prior question, and this will only result in additional FOI requests.
35. If it is not possible to provide the information requested due to the information exceeding the cost of compliance limits identified in Section 12, please provide advice and assistance, under the Section 16 obligations of the Act, as to how I can refine my request.

If you have any queries please don’t hesitate to contact me via email and I will be very happy to clarify what I am asking for and discuss this request; my details are outlined below.

Thank you for your time and I look forward to your response.

Response

1. When were these gates installed?
   • Answer - June 2025
2. Why were these gates installed here rather than retractable bollards? Stopping and deterring illegal motorcycle usage is not a reasonable excuse for stopping legitimate users and breaching the Equality Act 2010. The motorcycle usage should be a matter for the police.
   • Answer - Previously, park staff opened and closed the original gate during operational hours. Access outside of operational hours was then through the chicane or a NKS (national key scheme) Radar key would allow the gate to be fully opened. These keys are available at cost price within Rushcliffe Country Park’s visitor centre. The steady increase in antisocial behaviour in the form of off-road vehicles meant that we no longer left this gate open but allowed access through the chicane or the gate with a NKS key to prevent this illegal access. Additionally, the entrances were at the end of their practical life and needed replacing, so the current gates that had NKS accessibility and complied with BS5709:2018 while also restricting illegal vehicle access were chosen. The gate located on Asher Lane is now unlocked during operational hours to allow increased access. Bollards were not an option at this entrance as they would allow free access of illegal off-road vehicles.
3. Was an Equality Impact Assessment carried out at this location, as required by the Equality Act 2010 S.149, prior to the installation of this barrier.
   • Answer - yes
4. Could you please provide a copy of that Equality Impact Assessment.
   • Answer - FOI 3869398 Equality Impact Assesment RCP Radar Gates
5. Who installed this gate?
   • Answer - Streetwise, an internal department of Rushcliffe Borough Council.
6. Who approved this gate?
   • Answer - The Country Park Manager
7. I note that Rushcliffe Country Park is advertised as having an accessible cycle route here on visitnottinghamshire.co.uk but it cannot be accessed because of these gates.
   • Answer - This is an external website that we do not create content for or control.
8. I note this country park falls under the remit of Rushcliffe Borough Council.
   • Answer - Yes
9. Were they consulted prior to installation?
   • Answer - Rushcliffe Country Park is owned and operated by Rushcliffe Borough Council. All day to day operations taking place are done by Rushcliffe Borough Council. Cycle group Pedals were consulted prior to the original entrances being changed. A trial of removing some of the entrance barriers was trialled with the understanding that if it wasn’t successful a new gate would be installed. This was not successful and led to an increase in illegal motorbike access and so the new gates were installed.
10. If so, what was the response?
    • Answer - not applicable
11. If they did not approve, why was this ignored / overruled / disregarded, and by whom?
    • Answer - not applicable
12. If they did approve, please provide evidence to support this.
    • Answer - not applicable
13. Just a few months ago, as part of Rushcliffe Borough Council's Walking and Cycling Plan,a walking, wheeling and cycling event was hosted at the park. The park is part of a signposted and advertised local route, it is not unreasonable to expect cyclists, including disabled and adaptive cyclists, to wish to pass through here, as they are legally entitled to do.
    • Answer - not applicable
14. It is also reasonable to assume that many cyclists, wheelchair and mobility scooter users trying to enter at these points will not be familiar with the immediate local area, and may struggle to find and to try to pass an alternative route through the bushes.
    • Answer - not applicable
15. I remind you that dismounting is not an option for the majority of wheelchair and mobility scooter users and those on adaptive cycles, such as handcycles, trikes and so on, and requiring to dismount for users of such cycles is a contravention of EA2010 S.20(3)(4), and constitutes an act of direct discrimination under Equality Act 2010, Section 21.
    • Answer - not applicable
16. What provision has been made for the passage of cyclists along this signposted cycle route, with regards to this gate?
    • Answer - 
17. What provision has been made for cargobikes, tricyclists, and adaptive cycles in general?
    • Answer - Rushcliffe Country Park has 15 different access points of varying types, a network of over 8km of paths throughout the park and cycle rings to be able to securely lock a bicycle to.
18. How would a cargobike pass through here? (Assume length of 2.15, width 89cm)
    • Answer - A cargo bike could gain access from multiple entrances and being a large or unusual shape from this entrance in particular by using an NKS Radar key. The gate on Asher Lane is unlocked during operational hours.
19. How would a recumbent handcycle pass through here? (Assume 2.2m length, 5.5m turning radius - not an extreme example, fairly typical).
    • Answer - A recumbent handcycle could gain access from multiple entrances and being a large or unusual shape from this entrance in particular by using an NKS Radar key. The gate on Asher Lane is unlocked during operational hours.
20. How would an upright handcycle pass through here? (Assume 1.8m length, 5.5m turning radius - again, not extreme, fairly typical)
    • Answer - An upright handcycle could gain access from multiple entrances and being a large or unusual shape from this entrance in particular by using an NKS Radar key. The gate on Asher Lane is unlocked during operational hours.
21. How would a wheelchair with a clip-on handcycle pass through here? (assume length of 1.6m, width of 72cm at the bottom, 74cm at the cranks - Again, not extreme, fairly typical)
    • Answer - A wheelchair with a clip-on handcycle could gain access from multiple entrances and being a large or unusual shape from this entrance in particular by using an NKS Radar key. The gate on Asher Lane is unlocked during operational hours.
22. The UK Government has recently embarked on a programme of encouraging the construction, provision and improvement of cycling infrastructure (LTN 1/20).
    • Answer - Not applicable
23. Please explain how the installation of this gate, and the subsequent de facto banning of disabled cyclists from this route, aligns with this programme?
    • Answer - It does not prevent access.
24. The Equality Act 2010, Section 20 contains a number of stipulations with regards to provisions, practices, criterion and physical features. These are legal obligations, and as such, not optional. The Equality Act 2010, Section 20 is henceforth referred to as and by "S.20".
    • Answer - Not applicable
25. Please clarify how the installation of these gates aligns with S.20(3).
    • Answer - The gates allow access to disabled users via a universal NKS Radar lock allowing the gate to be fully opened for users that require additional space. The gate on Asher Lane is unlocked during operational hours.
26. Please clarify how the installation of these gates aligns with S.20(4).
    • Answer - The gates allow access to disabled users via a universal NKS Radar lock allowing the gate to be fully opened for users that require additional space. The gate on Asher Lane is unlocked during operational hours.
27. Please clarify how the installation of these gates aligns with S.20(7).
    • Answer - No payment from users is required.
28. Please clarify how the installation of these gates barrier aligns with S.20(9).
    • Answer - The gates allow access to disabled users via a universal NKS Radar lock allowing the gate to be fully opened for users that require additional space. The gate on Asher Lane is unlocked during operational hours.
29. Please clarify how the installation of these gates aligns with S.20(10).
    • Answer - The gates allow access to disabled users via a universal NKS Radar lock allowing the gate to be fully opened for users that require additional space. The gate on Asher Lane is unlocked during operational hours.
30. I again remind you that expecting disabled cyclists to dismount is a violation of S.20(3). I also remind you that expecting disabled cyclists to go a long way out of their way to avoid this barrier is a violation of S.20(3),(4).
    • Answer - Not applicable
31. Finally, I expect immediate and urgent action to be taken in order to bring these gate into compliance with the above legislation.
    • Answer - Not applicable
32. Please explain what immediate steps will be taken to allow inclusive and disabled accessibility for the above route.
    • Answer - Inclusive access for this entrance way is achieved with the use of an NKS Radar key, which are commonly found across the UK and allow disabled users additional space to access spaces that are purposely kept small to restrict illegal vehicle access. The gate on Asher Lane is unlocked during operational hours.
33. Please provide the correct contact point for any further actions, including for any potential Letter(s) Before Action(s) to be addressed to.
    • Answer - Rushcliffe Borough Council - 0115 981 9911
34. Please provide the requested information in either table, or bullet pointed format, addressing each question raised fully in turn. Please do not use "Refer to previous answer N", as none of my questions are likely to be satisfactorily answered by a prior question, and this will only result in additional FOI requests.
    • Answer - Not applicable
35. If it is not possible to provide the information requested due to the information exceeding the cost of compliance limits identified in Section 12, please provide advice and assistance, under the Section 16 obligations of the Act, as to how I can refine my request.
    • Answer - Not applicable