The Changing Places consortium have announced that following the launch of a new funding scheme 22 new Changing Places toilets will be added to the motorway service network.

Back in April 2019 a funding project was launched as a result of a partnership between Changing Places Consortium, Muscular Dystrophy UK and the Department for Transport, to allow motorway service stations to apply for funding to install Changing Places toilets. Service stations can apply for a share of the £2million made available by the Government as part of their Inclusive Transport Strategy launched last Summer. Speaking in April about the launch Transport Accessibility Minister Nusrat Ghani said “It is unacceptable that, despite welcome investment in some areas, our roadside services are not more accessible for over a quarter of a million people, and I am determined to do more. Our partnership with MDUK will help ensure that everyone, disabled or not, can use our roads and I encourage as many operators as possible to apply for funding.” The first round of applications has now been processed and it has been confirmed that 22 new Changing Places toilets will be added to the motorway service network.

The new sites will be:

Roadchef

  • Strensham (Northbound), M5
  • Strensham (Southbound), M5
  • Tibshelf (Northbound), M1
  • Tibshelf, (Southbound), M1
  • Sedgemoor, M5
  • Taunton Deane (Northbound), M5
  • Northampton (Northbound), M1
  • Northampton (Southbound), M1
  • Rownhams (Southbound), M27
  • Maidstone, M20
  • Durham, A1M
  • Clacket Lane (Westbound), M25
  • Chester, M56

Moto

  • Rugby, M6
  • Knutsford (Northbound), M6
  • Hilton Park (Southbound), M6
  • Ferrybridge, M62/A1M
  • Reading (Eastbound), M4
  • Heston (Westbound), M4

Westmorland

  • Gloucester (Northbound), M5
  • Tebay (Southbound), M6

Welcome Break

  • Birchanger Green, M11

This is a great step forward and the response has been very positive. Service station provider Roadchef committed to installing 13 new Changing Places toilets while Westmorland will be the UKs first motorway services operator to have fully accessible toilets at all their locations.

Campaigners have been working hard for many years to influence such change and it comes as a welcome break through. Zack Kerr, who has been campaigning since 2017 and gained more than 130,000 signatures on his petition to increase the number of fully accessible toilets in the UK motorway service network, said “This is great news because people like me can go out and about for holidays and days out, and they won't have to worry about finding a Changing Places toilet.” Tony Clough who in 2016 was awarded an MBE for his efforts in campaigning for Changing Places toilets in Manchester said “This is great news which will be welcomed by so many people, their families and friends. It is gratifying to know that the motorway service operators are committed to improving the customer service offering with regard to Changing Places toilets. These new locations on our motorway network will undoubtedly make travel a far less daunting prospect for thousands.”

So what makes a Changing Places toilet special? Standard accessible toilets do not meet the needs of many people with disabilities. Changing Places toilets offer a fully accessible environment with the correct equipment, enough space for carers to comfortably provide aid and safety features such as disposable bench covers to keep changing benches sanitary and a non-slip floor to reduce accidents. The Changing Places Consortium works with its members to campaign for increased numbers of these essential facilities and share real life stories of people who have been affected by the lack of them.

This is only the start of the journey, applications are now open for the second round of funding, where as well as motorways the scheme will be opened up to some A-road services. Changing Places will be working closely with the service operators to maximise the opportunity and get as many Changing Places toilets installed as possible.

Sources:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-stoke-staffordshire-36503422

https://theshuttle.org.uk/service-station-success-for-campaigner-zack-kerr/

http://www.changing-places.org/

http://www.changing-places.org/about_us/who_is_the_consortium_.aspx

http://www.changing-places.org/the_campaign/what_are_changing_places_toilets_.aspx

http://www.changing-places.org/news/april_2019_monthly_update_.aspx

http://www.changing-places.org/news/dft_funding_for_service_stations.aspx

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