Dear Coroner, Response to Prevention of Future Deaths Report. We acknowledge receipt of the Prevention of Future Deaths report, issued following the inquest into the death of Elizabeth Margaret Bury on 13th August 2024. The Council wishes to express its sadness and concern upon reading the details in the report. Please be reassured that we take these matters very seriously indeed, and we are grateful for the opportunity to set out the action we have taken to prevent future deaths. Overview of the Issue Raised In your report, you have identified that Tape Street Car Park, Cheadle, where the incident occurred, has been the source of many falls because of speed bumps. Actions Taken to Address the Concerns Since receiving your report, we have undertaken the following steps:
• The day after receiving your report the Council’s Corporate Health and Safety Manager visited the car park accompanied by a Senior Compliance Officer from the Council’s Assets team. The purpose of the visit was to assess the overall condition of the car park, including the traffic

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calming measures currently in place. It was noted that the speed bumps were highlighted with white thermoplastic road marking paint which were in good condition and visible.
• On the 9th October 2024, a further inspection was undertaken by a representative from the British Car Parking Association, accompanied by a Council Officer and a Police Officer from Staffordshire Police. It was confirmed that the car park meets the ‘Park Mark’ scheme which establishes national safety standards. Notwithstanding the matters found during the site visit, the Council has carefully considered the content of your report and will action improvements to the car park as set out below. Ongoing Commitments The professional advice we have received has resulted in the following planned action:
• The Council will remove the speed bumps closest to where we understand the incident to have occurred. Subject to design advice, the current speed bumps will be replaced with a larger speed bump, with a flat top, which will adjoin the pedestrian platforms at either side. The top of the new speed bump will be painted to delineate a zebra crossing, and to provide a flat walking platform of consistent height all the way across between the two platforms. The Council will look to expedite the works and we expect to have them completed by the end of this year.

• In the interim period, the Council will investigate whether additional signage can be added to make pedestrians aware of speed bumps/uneven surfaces, and where and how these can be placed on site. We hope the steps outlined above demonstrate our commitment to preventing future deaths and our determination to address the matters identified in your report. Should you require any further information, or if you wish to discuss any part of our response in more detail, please do not hesitate to contact us. Once again, we offer our sincere condolences to the family of Ms Bury and assure you that we are taking all necessary steps to prevent any similar incident from occurring in the future.