Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said the government is looking at the Gabe's Law campaign, which calls for safer multi-storey car parks in memory of a 15-year-old Liverpool boy. The campaign is named after Gabriel Santer, who fell to his death in Liverpool city centre in 2020.
This week, the ECHO officially joined the campaign, which was launched by Gabriel's father, Johnny Santer, to change the legal limit for the height of railings around multi-storey car parks from 1.1m to 2.7m. The Multi-Storey Car Parks (Safety) Bill, if approved, would also mandate 24-hour staffing and security at these car parks. The campaign is being led in Parliament by Liverpool Garston MP Maria Eagle.
Prime Minister responds to campaign
During a recent visit to Liverpool, Mr Burnham was asked by the ECHO whether he would look at the issue. He said: "It is. We have put out a call for evidence across the country, so we just want to gather all of that in so that we can make a judgement about the changes that are needed. But yeah, very much looking at it and recognise the call that is being made."
The government has opened a call for evidence on an area of existing building regulations which covers protection from falling, collision and impact in relation to Gabe's Law. However, any changes to this element of building regulations would only apply to newly-built car park structures, and not existing ones. Gabe's Law seeks to make the changes in all existing multi-storey car parks.
Families welcome ECHO support
Speaking after the ECHO officially joined the campaign, Mr Santer said: "I'm absolutely delighted that the ECHO has got on board with us now as official supporters in joining the campaign. I'm hoping that with your network and reach we can get other organisations aligned with our campaign. This is all about not letting other families have to go through what we've gone through and making sure that they're kept safe the way that we unfortunately were not."
Maria Eagle said: "I am pleased that the Liverpool Echo is taking up Gabe's Law as a campaign. We have seen too many people die by falling from car parks in Liverpool already and my Multi-Storey Car Parks (Safety) Bill, known as Gabe's Law, would help minimise further loss and would save lives. It would make changes to barrier fencing height retrospective, making it more difficult to fall from existing multi-storeys, and calls for 24-hour staffing of car parks to help deter death by jumping. This campaign if successful would be a fitting legacy for my constituent Gabriel Santer and for others who have lost their lives in this way. I welcome this campaign and strongly urge others to support it."
The ECHO's backing brings together words and experiences from Mr Santer as well as Natasha Perry, whose son died after falling from a multi-storey car park in Liverpool last year, and Dale Minks, whose son Tom suffered life-changing injuries falling from the same building just weeks later.
