A 'happy' councillor says supermarket managers have cleared an aisle so disabled shoppers and parents with pushchairs can get to the Post Office more easily in time for Christmas.
Cllr Jill Desayrah welcomed the decision to move 'obstacles', including shelves full of goods, from the aisles at the Spar shop in Cranham Parade, Cranham Drive in Warndon, Worcester after raising the issue with managers.
The Warndon Labour city councillor said she was responding to concerns raised by disabled people in wheelchairs and mobility scooters and parents with pushchairs.
We previously reported how William O'Neill of Cranham Drive, who is disabled, said all the Spar shop needed was 'some jumps' to make 'the obstacle course' more interesting - but that other disabled people had it much worse.
The 67-year-old of Cranham Drive said he went into the shop to get his gas and electric and sometimes to use the Post Office but now there were 'all these barricades in the aisles'.
Worcestershire Regulatory Services launched an investigation as photos showed aisles obstructing access to the post office at the back of the shop with produce stacked high and wide.
Cllr Desayrah said: “I was very happy to learn from a resident who relies on a mobility scooter that they could once again get to the Post Office in the Spar at Cranham Parade.
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"Cllr Ed Kimberley and I had visited several times, asking for the piles of stock around the aisles to be reduced, particularly those restricting the way to the Post Office at the rear of the store.
"At our request, Worcestershire Regulatory Services visited to review the layout from a health and safety perspective and they referred us to the Equalities Commission for a remedy. Their involvement was just starting when the news came that universal access to the Post Office had been restored.
"This is a great result for all the disabled people who were struggling so badly to get to the Post Office. It’s particularly welcome given the approach of Christmas, when Post Offices services are so much in demand. We wish to thank the management at Spar for listening to residents and making this change. It’s very much appreciated.”
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