Kensington Shared Space Scheme Tweaked

The part-pedestrianisation of Exhibition Road has been approved by Kensington & Chelsea council, albeit with some minor amendments. Whether influenced by the blind protesters at City Hall last month, or the slightly hysterical vision of transport apocalypse drawn by a local resident complaining about a separate proposed 'shared space' in nearby Knightsbridge, K&C have ordered some subtle changes. The pedestrian and traffic areas will now be "visually separated" by black cast iron drainage covers, and 600mm-wide strips of of ridged "warning corduroy" will be installed along the drainage gully to warn blind people of the safe zone's edge. Updated pics show an Arcadian vision of al fresco dining on the newly twinned tarmac, with nary a passing vehicle to be sighted; yet it'll be the brave or foolhardy who'll park their caboose on a chair that's just centimetres from oncoming traffic.