Changing Places toilets to be compulsory in public buildings

MHCLG have announced that the inclusion of Changing Places toilets will be made compulsory in public buildings in England and they have set up a £30million fund – opening in a few months' time - to help install them.

The change (expected in early 2021) will make it easier for more than 250,000 severely disabled people to access (12m²) toilet facilities with equipment such as hoists, curtain, adult-sized changing benches and space for careers, with an extra 150 new buildings expected to have them per year. 

The new rules state that places of assembly, recreation and entertainment with a capacity for 350 or more people will be required to install the facilities if they are newly built or have a major refurbishment.

This includes hotels with leisure facilities, motorway services, places of worship, conference centres, further education colleges, theatres and cinemas.

The new rules also include shopping centres or retail parks with gross floor areas of 30,000m², retail premises of 2,500m², sport or leisure buildings over 5,000m² and stadia, theme parks, zoos, and exhibition centres with a capacity above 2,000 people.

Additionally, government are looking at increasing the provision of Changing Places toilets in hospitals and the Department of Transport have announced a fund of £1.27 million to install 37 of these facilities in service stations across England.

Further information

Full details can be found on the government's website.

(Banner image courtesy of PAMIS.)