Worksop: Pensioner calls for better disabled access to Priory church

A disabled man has increased his calls for access to the Worksop Priory church to be made easier for wheelchair users like himself.
Fred Salmon is complaining about the cobbled paving in front of Priory Church in WorksopFred Salmon is complaining about the cobbled paving in front of Priory Church in Worksop
Fred Salmon is complaining about the cobbled paving in front of Priory Church in Worksop

A disabled man has increased his calls for access to the Worksop Priory Church to be made easier for wheelchair users like himself.

Fred Salmon, who is 87 and suffers from bone cancer, attends the 900 year-old church three times a week.

And Mr Salmon, who is a resident at Victoria Nursing Home in the town, says he has the same problems with access every time.

“The problem is pathway leading from the road to the path up to the church door,” he said,”

“At the start of that is a raised piece of flagstone and that is very difficult for not just a wheelchair user like me to get over, but a lot of disabled people.”

“It is a real bump and if I fall out of my chair, as I nearly have done several times going over that little bit, I will break a limb.”

“It’s worse when it’s wet because it becomes very slippery and greasy and I get stuck. It’s ridiculous.”

“I don’t want the pathway ripped up, or anything like that, I simply want it levelled off a bit.”

“I’ve raised this repeatedly with the church and they always say the same thing, it’s all rules and regulations.”

“They say they’ve got to talk to English Heritage, get a faculty from authorities at Southwell, talk to the local council and so on, it’s about six different departments you’ve got to go through.”

“The thing is, nobody’s bothered to press it and keep on at them and they need to because if it stays like this, there’s going to be an accident.”

In response, the vicar at The Priory, Father Nicholas Spicer, said he understood Mr Salmon’s frustrations and that they had been working to find solutions.

“Part of the land is owned by the church, part by the county council and part by the district council and we can’t just go ahead and do work without permission,” he said.

“We have twice been given money to do work and twice, through no fault of our own, that money has been taken away almost overnight.”

“I have met with Mr Salmon’s family and see Mr Salmon regularly and I am meeting with the county council this week so we will see then if this issue can be looked at again.”