Kingston Disability Network

Tag: rbk

  • 17th September – Concessionary Travel Engagement Event

    The following information is shared in collaboration with Kingston Council

    Concessionary Travel: engagement event

    Date:  Thursday 17th September, 10.30am-12pm

    Venue: Council Chamber, Guildhall, High Street, Kingston upon Thames KT1 1EU

    Kingston Council and Kingston Disability Network invite you to an engagement session on planned changes to how Concessionary Travel applications are processed. This covers three services:

    • Blue Badges – national parking concessions for residents with severe mobility difficulties or hidden disabilities
    • Freedom Passes – processing and issuing Disabled Person’s and Older Person’s Freedom Passes
    • Taxicards – administering subsidised taxi travel for residents with severe mobility impairments
      • The proposed resident journey and support available at each stage
      • How assessments and reviews should work
      • How we should measure service quality and resident experience
      • What social value commitments a future provider should be expected to deliver

    Why we’re asking you
    We’re reviewing the service model for these schemes, and we want resident and stakeholder input to shape it before decisions are finalised. This session is your chance to hear the proposed approach and tell us directly what would make it work better.

    We’d like your views on:

    • The proposed resident journey and support available at each stage
    • How assessments and reviews should work
    • How we should measure service quality and resident experience
    • What social value commitments a future provider should be expected to deliver

    Tea and coffee will be provided. Please let us know in advance if you have any access requirements.

    RSVP: info@kdn.org.uk 

  • Transport Liaison Group Notes – 19.08.26

    The following are notes from the Council’s Transport Liaison Group, which was attended for the KDN by Secretary Keegan Hillier.

    • SL7 fleet are now electrified
    • News box at kingston station lights is currently removed
    • Fix my street isn’t accessible for the visually impaired who can’t use a map – and when members make mistakes and put pins in the wrong places / boroughs, the issues aren’t communicated to the right councils. Streetcare has a phone number but needs more promotion and improvements. TfL attendee notes these.
    • Cromwell road bus station has been mentioned to the accessibility delivery group within TfL
      • Keegan suggested reminding these teams that it’s financially better if they do things right the first time.
    • 31st August to 15th September – the freedom passes website will be shut down these dates
    • Roy raised floating bus stops and how there’s a campaign for them to be made illegal.
      • TfL contact agrees to ask for an update about floating bus stops.
    • Greener buses are leading to less childhood asthma and lung damage – will ease stress on healthcare, in schools, and bring greater prospects for young people in Kingston.
    • KAB has been given a grant called greener roots for an audio guide to connect with the hogsmill river – mp3 files will be on the website about different parts of the river eg art, culture, nature. Also street guides for those who need additional help.
    • Berrylands renovations are on track to open at the end of September on schedule, and are within budget – new platforms will be flat and level.
      • Odette asks for orientation for blind members using Berrylands station – Network Rail says they will arrange with an accessibility officer.
        • Ashley has since asked if KDN can be included in this orientation offer
    • APCOA are now moving bikes out of highways and off from the middle of pavements. Lime bikes can take from hours to days to collect and move bikes.
    • Will be a micromobility officer from september for a few months to help support in communications with bike companies.
      • There’s no Lime bike contact for the council due to lack of contract, but there is a contact for Forest so they are more responsible / accountable.
      • Keegan raises trying to educate people more on where you can and can’t leave a bike.
      • Hillary Gander mentions that lots of e-cyclists have never ridden a bike since they were young – they aren’t trained on proper bike etiquette. KCC is aware but wondering what more can be done.
      • Cllr Nardelli is surprised to hear about the number of e-cyclists without prior experience – agreement on need to educate.
      • Roy suggests the Council use lets talk emails to keep residents informed on things like cycling rules and signage.
    • TfL funding has been allocated for priority bays and ebike bays on the road. These roadside bays are the first in the borough.
    • There will be a requirement for whoever wins the ebike contract in September that there are more bikes going to the south of the borough, improving travel prospects and access.
    • KCC would like more liaising involved in the Fountain Roundabout.
    • Delivery apps are only paying when you deliver in time slots – incentivises dangerous .
    • Police community board being set back up after 2 years in KT
      • Cllr Nardelli says she imagines dangerous high speed e-bikes will be a priority on this board. 
      • Currently it’s hard to get the police to act without the home office coming along.
    • Idminston Road will be getting bollards put in in the next few weeks.
    • 2 new school streets to committee in September – Coombe Girls and Robin Hood Vale.
    • Changes to school streets exemptions – making it easier for kids and drivers to get exemptions. Taxi drivers can also retrospectively call the team to let them know they have dropped off a disabled child in a school zone (48 hours after).
      • Taxi representative suggests automatically exempting all taxis, as this has been done in some other boroughs.
    Names mentioned and their organisations

    Roy – Roy Smith of Kingston Association for the Blind / Kingston Sightloss Support

    Odette – Odette Battarel of Kingston Association for the Blind / Kingston Sightloss Support

    Cllr Nardelli – Cllr Nicola Nardelli, chair of the Transport Liaison Group

    Keegan – Keegan Hillier of the KDN

    Hillary Gander – Hillary Gander of Kingston Cycling Campaign (KCC)

    APCOA – parking enforcement agency

  • Have your say on the Local Plan

    We are pleased to share the following from Kingston Council’s engagement team:

    The Council has now reached the final stage of consultation on Kingston’s new Local Plan. This is an important opportunity for residents, businesses and community groups to comment on whether the Plan is legally compliant and sound before it is submitted for independent examination.

    Thank you for helping us ensure as many people as possible are aware of this final opportunity to have their say.

    A graphic for the Local Plan. Text at the top reads 'Shaping the future together', followed underneath by 'Our vision for Kingston 2028-2043. There is a stylised image depicting parts of Kingston, including the riverside and iconic post boxes.

    We’re getting in touch to let you know that the final consultation on Kingston’s new Local Plan is now open and we’d really welcome your views. The consultation runs until 11.59pm on Friday 4 September 2026.

    The Local Plan sets out how Kingston could grow and change over the next 15 years, including where new homes, jobs, infrastructure, community facilities, culture and leisure opportunities could be located, while protecting the things that make our borough special, such as our parks, green spaces and local character.

    The Plan also sets out where development can take place and the planning policies that will be used to make decisions on future planning applications.

    What you can share your views on 

    At this stage, which is called a Regulation 19 consultation, comments must focus on whether the borough’s Plan is legally compliant and sound, as set out in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), paragraphs 36-38. If you believe something has not been done correctly, or that the Plan does not meet the required standards, we would like to hear from you.

    Once this consultation has closed, we will review all of the comments received, prepare and submit Kingston’s Local Plan to the Planning Inspectorate by the end of the year.

    How to share your final comments

    The Local Plan and all related consultation documents are available on our Kingston Let’s Talk engagement portal. The evidence base, which informs the Local Plan, is on our website. 

    You can submit your final comments legal compliance and soundness in a number of ways: 

    If you need the Local Plan in another format, or if you have a question, please email localplan@kingston.gov.uk or call us on 020 8547 5000 and we’ll call you back. 

    Join us at a drop-in session 

    If you’d like to find out more or ask questions, please come along to one of our borough-wide drop-in sessions:

    • Saturday 25 July, 12pm to 3pm – Market House, 25 Market Place, Kingston, KT1 1JS
    • Wednesday 12 August, 4pm to 7pm – New Malden Methodist Church (Lower Hall), 49 High Street, New Malden, KT3 4BY 
    • Saturday 15 August, 9am to 1pm – Surbiton Farmers’ Market, Maple Rd, Surbiton KT6 4FB

    Thank you for taking the time to get involved and helping to shape Kingston’s future

    Secretary Keegan Hillier has also asked the Engagement Team if the KDN can have a disability-focused meeting with the Council surrounding the plan – we will update with their response!

  • Rose Theatre – Access Newsletter

    The Rose Theatre has shared with us their first Access Newsletter. You can read it by clicking on the following link: Newsletter_Access_PDF_14_07_26.pdf – Google Drive

  • Job Vacancy: External Communications / Social Media Manager

    This role’s aims and expectations are as follows:

    • Advertise the Kingston Disability Network (KDN) to external bodies through creation of advertisement graphics, social media posts, and attendance of public events
    • Promote a positive image of the Network, whilst keeping an eye out for disability or charity-related events in the Kingston Borough for members of the Executive Committee to attend. The External Comms manager does not have to be the one to attend said events, but is responsible for sharing these events with their Executive Committee peers, ensuring someone is able to attend or that the Secretary sends our apologies for the KDN’s absence.

    The position of External Communications Manager requires someone with an understanding of graphic design, or a passion for learning. It would be well-suited to a university student looking to develop marketable skills, but we welcome applicants from any background. The External Communications Manager will have access to the KDN’s social media pages – currently Twitter/X and a Facebook group – and will use programs like Canva to create eye-catching graphics, keeping in mind the need to include Image Descriptions and dyslexia-friendly fonts. There may also be the need to create event posters and graphics on occasion.

    This role requires someone with some familiarity with disability, whether through personal experience, past employment, or a keen interest in accessibility. The role also requires the role-holder to live or work within, or close to, the Royal Borough of Kingston-Upon-Thames, as the KDN is Kingston-focused. 

    The External Communications role offers fairly flexible working, with the only requirements being a once-monthly meeting (usually hybrid) and once-weekly check-ins with the rest of the Executive Committee. These check-ins can be through casual meet-up, email, or phone, depending on the needs and schedules of all involved. All other work can be completed whenever your schedule suits, and can be moulded to fit around a career, degree, or any other commitments. We expect this role should take no more than 2 hours for the average week, but may have periods requiring up to 5 hours a week, with notice.

    As this role is voluntary, we are unable to pay for any costs or charges the applicant may encounter. However, we do not expect the applicant to pay out of pocket for any premium services, and if these should be required, the KDN will cover costs.

    Those interested in the position should submit a CV and a short text, no more than 500 words, detailing your experience or interest in working as an External Communications officer or for a disability organisation. This can be sent to info@kdn.org.uk. Please also submit any questions to this address, as we are happy to speak to interested applicants.

    Those who are successful in their submissions will be invited to a short, semi-informal interview with the Vice-Chair and Secretary, to discuss suitability for the role and answer any questions you may have.

  • Role vacancy: Treasurer

    This role’s aims and expectations are as follows:

    • Manage the finances of the Kingston Disability Network (KDN)
    • Work alongside the Executive Committee and Steering Group to apply for charitable grants and community group funding

    The position of treasurer requires someone who is comfortable with numbers and finances. Prior treasurer experience is not required, but if you lack the current experience, we ask for a proactive passion for learning. The treasurer will have access to the KDN’s banking, alongside the Vice-Chair and Secretary, and will offer sensible budgeting ideas for events, activities, and running costs. The Treasurer will create spreadsheets covering the KDN’s regular costs, ongoing fees, and streams of income, offering all relevant bodies an understanding of the ins and outs of the KDN’s financial status.

    This role requests someone with some familiarity with disability, whether through personal experience, past employment, or a keen interest in accessibility. The role also requires the role-holder to live within, or close to, the Royal Borough of Kingston-Upon-Thames, as the KDN is Kingston-focused. 

    The Treasurer role offers fairly flexible working, with the only requirements being a once-monthly meeting (usually hybrid) and once-weekly check-ins with the rest of the Executive Committee. These check-ins can be through casual meet-up, email, or phone, depending on the needs and schedules of all involved. All other work can be completed whenever your schedule suits, and can be moulded to fit around a career, degree, or any other commitments, and is expected to be no more than a few hours a week, often less.

    As this role is voluntary, we are unable to pay for any costs or charges the applicant may encounter. However, we do not expect the successful applicant to pay for any applications necessary for the treasurer role, and covering the cost of these can be discussed should any come up.

    Those interested in the position should submit a CV and a short text, no more than 500 words, detailing your experience or interest in working as a treasurer or for a disability organisation. This can be sent to info@kdn.org.uk. Please also submit any questions to this address, as we are happy to speak to interested applicants.

    Those who are successful in their submissions will be invited to a short, semi-informal interview with the Vice-Chair and Secretary, to discuss suitability for the role and answer any questions you may have.