UK: Health and Safety Spells the End for Cobblestones
9th November 2010
Although cobbles can be difficult to walk on – especially in high heels – they are treasured as part of the nation’s heritage.
Local authorities faced with the prospect of further claims are deciding that enough is enough and are ripping up or paving over the traditional surfaces.
But now, many of those taking a tumble on the uneven surfaces are suing their council for damages.
New figures suggest that hundreds of thousands of pounds are being paid out to compensate people who trip over on cobbles.
No tradition can survive a combination of a lack of common sense and a lack of personal responsibility.
In most cases, officials say the schemes are necessary for safety reasons. However, heritage groups have criticised the councils and accused them of sacrificing local history in an overzealous response to so-called “compensation culture”.
Fine–then those ‘heritage groups’ can pay the damage judgments.