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This is pretty much a run of the mill news story about planning permission for a wheelchair ramp being refused. Except for one rather odd aspect鈥�.

has reported that the manager of an Arts Centre in Grange has objected to the local council鈥檚 refusal to grant him permission to install a ramp outside his business.

The councillors鈥� concerns concentrate mainly on the planned ramp鈥檚 impact on the width of the pavement and on the business next door. Ok, so we may not like that, but we're unlikely to be surprised by it.

Councillor Tom Harvey, though, has an entirely different concern. He thinks late-night drinkers might use the ramp. 鈥淧eople will accumulate on there鈥�, he said.

Erm, am I missing something here? As long as the business to which the ramp leads is shut for the night, what鈥檚 the problem with late night drinkers 鈥渁ccumulating鈥� on it? In what way is 鈥渁ccumulating鈥� on a ramp worse than 鈥渁ccumulating鈥� on a pavement? Is there something particularly sinister about ramp-loitering? Or is there something so unbelievably magnetic about a wheelchair ramp that it would prove an irresistible draw to every drinker in the town?

The last wheelchair ramp I saw was sort of grey and hard and slopey. Functional, yes, but not a thing of beauty. Now, I鈥檓 not one for hanging about town centres late at night with a bottle of something alcoholic in the hand I鈥檓 not using to prod someone repeatedly in the shoulder and tell them they鈥檙e my best friend. But if I were, I can鈥檛 imagine that my eyes would light up at the prospect of having a ramp to congregate on. Not unless it was fitted with comfy seating and potted palms, anyway.

If you鈥檙e aware of any other bizarre planning objections to adaptations which would make buildings more accessible, I鈥檝e no doubt the Ouch team would be thrilled if you鈥檇 recount them in the comments on this entry.

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