Council acts on public requests to create premier regional shopping destination
Stoke-on-Trent City Council has taken innovative steps to make its £multi-million town centre redevelopment open to all…
As part of the City Renewal programme aimed at transforming the centre into a premier regional shopping destination, the Council commissioned a ‘state of the art’ new city centre bus station. To optimise its ease of use by travellers, architects Grimshaw designed a semi-circular enclosed passenger concourse along which are facilities including a Changing Places toilet, included at the request of both the Council’s access officer and local people.
The facility is larger than a conventional ‘disabled’ toilet, and features additional equipment to enable practical and hygienic use by people who need the help of a carer.
Supplied and installed by Closomat, the UK’s leading supplier of disabled toileting solutions and sponsor of the Changing Places campaign, the equipment includes a mobile, height-adjustable changing bench and ceiling track hoist, as well as standard accessible toilet fixtures of a wash basin, WC, and grab rails.
Stoke City Council asked the community what people would like to see in the new bus station, and a Changing Places toilet was specifically requested. One lady said that without it, she wouldn’t be able to take her son out and enjoy the day-to-day activities most people take for granted. Under BS8300: 2009, it is also good practice to include a Changing Places facility in new buildings to which the public have access.
The Changing Places campaign calls for ‘bigger and better’ accessible toilets that enable people who need the help of a carer to have the space, and equipment, to undertake personal hygiene in an appropriate, clean environment when away from home. Since the campaign began, over 400 have been opened at venues across the UK.
Closomat has a proven track record on the supply and installation of fully accessible toilets, including a substantial number of Changing Places facilities. Its ability to deliver design advice, supply, installation, commissioning and maintenance across the ambit of accessible toileting equipment, including the Closomat wash and dry (automatic) toilet, means it is uniquely positioned to simplify the whole process for forward-thinking environments to which the public have access.
