RICS Logo
Twitter
LinkedIn
  • Home
  • News
  • What We Do
    • Business Rates Relief
    • Empty Property Rates Relief
    • Charities
  • Contact
0800 151 3361
Email Us
New rules to make Changing Places toilets compulsory in public buildings

Changing Places toilets to be compulsory in new public buildings

July 20, 2020Kim Pidgeon

£30 million fund will also be available to add the facilities to existing venues

A major change to building rules in England will require thousands of Changing Places toilet facilities to be designed and built into new public buildings, from next year.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government says the large (12m2), well-equipped toilets will help more than 250,000 severely disabled people have greater access to public places.

Changing Places toilets are larger and include equipment such as hoists, curtains, adult-sized changing benches and space for carers. 

The government estimates it will add the toilets to more than 150 new buildings a year.

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.  They include art galleries, cinemas, concert halls, conference centres, further education colleges, universities, hotels that include leisure facilities, libraries, motorway services, museums, places of worship and theatres. 

Shopping centres or retail parks with gross floor areas of more than 30,000m2, retail premises of more than 2,500m2, sport or leisure buildings over 5,000m2, and stadia, theme parks, zoos or exhibition centres with a capacity above 2,000 people will also be included in the rules.

Building Accessibility Minister Lord Greenhalgh said: “For too long, the lack of Changing Places toilets has meant that severely disabled people have faced severe difficulties in attending public places.

“Changing Places toilets give disabled people and their carers the space and equipment they need to have the confidence to leave their homes and go out. We are making the installation of these toilets compulsory in hundreds of new public buildings in years to come to help bring major, life enhancing freedoms to the more than 250,000 people who need them.”

Rob Burley, director of campaigns, care and support at Muscular Dystrophy UK, said: “This is huge news for the quarter of a million people in the UK who need Changing Places toilets. Having access to these much-needed facilities increases independence and improves quality of life. 

“This legislation will make it easier for disabled people and their families to enjoy activities that many take for granted, whether that’s a day’s shopping or attending a concert. None of this would have been possible without the hard work of our wonderful campaigners. Thanks to everyone working together, we have taken a big step towards ensuring Changing Places toilets will be more widely available to everyone who needs them and tackling the exclusion people face.”

Meanwhile, a £30 million fund to install Changing Places in existing venues will open in the next few months

There are more than 1,400 Changing Places toilets in the UK, up from just 140 in 2007, but many more are needed.

The Department for Transport, in partnership with Muscular Dystrophy UK, has also announced £1.27 million to install 37 more changing places at service stations across England. This will mean 87 of England’s 118 service stations will have Changing Places toilets in them by the early 2020s.

This investment is part of the government’s Inclusive Transport Strategy, which aims to provide equal access to transport by 2030, with assistance if physical infrastructure remains a barrier.

The Changing Places Consortium launched its campaign in 2006 on behalf of the over 250,000 people who cannot use standard accessible toilets. This includes people with profound and multiple learning disabilities, motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, as well as older people.

To find your nearest Changing Places toilet, click here.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Posts

  • Unused materials database aims to reduce construction waste
  • Changing Places toilets to be compulsory in new public buildings
  • Avant Homes and Moorfield Group in £20m show homes sale
  • Coronavirus Pandemic: useful links for G15 Housing Associations
  • Ban on using credit cards for gambling in the UK from April 2020

Recent Comments

    Archives

    • September 2020
    • July 2020
    • May 2020
    • April 2020
    • January 2020
    • December 2019
    • November 2019
    • October 2019
    • September 2019
    • August 2019
    • July 2019
    • June 2019
    • May 2019
    • April 2019
    • March 2019
    • February 2019
    • January 2019
    • December 2018
    • November 2018
    • October 2018
    • September 2018
    • August 2018
    • July 2018
    • June 2018
    • May 2018
    • April 2018
    • March 2018
    • February 2018
    • January 2018
    • December 2017
    • November 2017
    • October 2017
    • September 2017
    • August 2017
    • July 2017
    • June 2017
    • May 2017
    • February 2017

    Categories

    • Advice
    • News
    • Tips
    • Uncategorized
    Twitter
    LinkedIn
    Caritas
    5 Chancery Lane
    London
    WC2A 1LG


    Tel: 0800 151 3361
    Email Us
    Caritas
    Cody Technology Park
    Old Ively Road
    Farnborough
    Hampshire
    GU14 0LX
    Tel: 0800 151 3361
    Email Us

    © Copyright Caritas | Privacy Notice | Cookie Policy