A new extension has been opened at an award-winning five-star city centre loo.
The new toilet facility will meet the specialised needs of severely disabled people and was opened by actress Julie Fernandez.
Julie, star of TV’s The Office, suffers herself from brittle bone disease and is a campaigner for disability rights.
The Changing Places facility has been added to the existing toilets in Car Haven, behind Peterborough Town Hall. The toilets had already won a five-star Loo of the Year 2010 award. The addition allows adults and children who are severely disabled to be cleansed and changed in comfort and privacy.
Changing Places cost £60,000 to build and was a joint project between Peterborough City Council’s adult social care, children’s services, neighbourhood teams and Enterprise Peterborough. It has also been supported by the Learning Disability Partnership Board and Peterborough Disability Forum.
Councillor Wayne Fitzgerald, the city council’s cabinet member for adult social care, said: “This is a much needed city centre facility for the growing number of adults with personal care needs and children with disabilities.
“Some disabled people can feel socially excluded when they are out and about because the specialist equipment required to meet their needs isn’t widely available. The city council has worked closely with local disability support groups to ensure that the facility meets the needs of these people, and that it is accessible to as many people as possible.”
Bryan Tyler, disability forum manager, said: “It’s so good to know that people that couldn’t previously access the amenities and services that Peterborough has to offer, such as the Cathedral, the Embankment or Queensgate, can now do so because of the Changing Places toilets.”