A project to create better facilities to enhance the lives of disabled people visiting and living in Ripon has been completed.
North Yorkshire Council has opened a Changing Places facility at the city’s bus station toilet block as part of a scheme to revamp the public conveniences.
The council’s deputy leader, Cllr Gareth Dadd, said the scheme is the latest changing places toilet to be created by the council.
He added:
“This new facility adds to our programme of investment in changing places provision across the county – we opened one in Pickering this summer and a Dales addition was opened last year.
"It is vital that we provide facilities for everyone to access whether visiting or living in North Yorkshire.”
The specialised toilet can be used by people with limited mobility and complex needs and gives them greater accessibility.
It includes a toilet, washing and changing area with room for two carers, a hoist system, a changing bed and screening to allow for privacy.
The work at the bus station conveniences also re-modelled the whole toilet block and refurbished facilities that were over 20 years old.
It now includes three women’s cubicles, two men’s cubicles and three urinals, and an accessible toilet as well as the changing places provision.
The £175,000 scheme benefitted from a £40,000 grant from the national Levelling Up Fund and was installed in association with Muscular Dystrophy UK.
The £4.8 billion Levelling Up Fund was announced in November 2020 to provide investment for schemes across the country to benefit communities and support local economies.
Members of the city’s Disability Forum have been campaigning for the Changing Places facility.
One of the forum’s trustees, Lynette Barnes, said:
“This is a much-needed addition to the city centre as we continue to work to make Ripon more accessible for residents and visitors alike. We are very grateful to North Yorkshire Council for making this happen.”
The member for North Yorkshire Council’s Ripon Minster and Moorside division, Cllr Andrew Williams, added:
“I very much welcome this investment in Ripon to deliver the changing places facility which will allow people to get out and about in the city and do things we all take for granted.
“The entire scheme is a significant improvement to the toilet facilities and will, I am sure, be popular with local residents and our visitors.”
Muscular Dystrophy UK’s changing places manager, Karen Hoe, said:
“We were delighted to work with the local authority with the installation of this new Changing Places toilet at Ripon Bus Station and recognise the huge difference it will make to the community and those who are dependent upon them.
"It’s great to see a third one on the map for Ripon.”
More information about Changing Places toilets and to find the location of facilities around the country is available at www.changing-places.org/
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