The government wants to see a step change in the number of Changing Places toilets across the country. This is why at Budget 2021, the Chancellor announced a Changing Places Fund of up to £30 million to accelerate the provision in existing buildings in England.
More than 250,000 disabled people across the UK do not have access to public toilet facilities that meet their needs. Changing Places toilets open up public places to this group and their families, enabling them to enjoy the same experiences as everyone else.
Changing Places toilets are larger accessible toilets for disabled people, and include specialist equipment such as a ceiling hoist, privacy screen, adult-sized changing bench, peninsula toilet, and have extra space for carers.
As part of the first round of awards, East Suffolk Council applied to install a Changing Places inside the redevelopment of the East Point Pavilion – a location which has proved to be exceptionally popular with locals and visitors alike.
Care Spaces was delighted to assist our client to deliver this Changing Places toilet as part of a redevelopment on the seafront in Lowestoft.
Working with the main contractor, Care Spaces helped to design the room layout so it was compliant to the relevant British Standard (BS8300) for designing accessible buildings. We then attended site on several occasions to assist with finetuning the preparation for installation, ensuring that our drawings were interpreted correctly and that the specialist M&E contractors were supported prior to our installation
The contractor installed a timber roof to the room which was engineered to support the hoist installation, laid a non-slip vinyl floor, and installed Trovex hygienic cladding to the walls.
The Care Spaces team then went to work to install the equipment, delivering O&M manuals and test certificates for the handover package.
Following the buildings grand opening weekend, we then returned to deliver some training for the staff. The room has been signposted using great wayfinding from the main concourse, and has a tactile sign on the door with braille.
The entire visitor experience is designed to be inclusive, with level access to and from the promenade; it’s clear that the team behind this project have worked very hard to ensure that the building is welcoming and accessible to every visitor to Lowestoft.
In the words of one of the staff – “The Changing Places toilet is fantastic – so many people plan their days to come and use it already!!“
Would you like to discover more about how to design and create a Changing Places toilet?
Check out our guidance pages…
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