Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:21 pm on 16 November 2022.
I'd like to pay tribute to Jan Thomas, chief executive of the Flintshire Disability Forum, and TCC, Together Creating Communities, for campaigning for more Changing Places facilities across north-east Wales. They lobbied me when I was a Flintshire county councillor and, since then, I have questioned if a Changing Places toilet can be incorporated in a new public building or during the redesigning of an existing one.
On most occasions, there have been issues with adequate space, especially in existing buildings, and more so if they have some listed status. Budget isn't usually the biggest constraint. The Changing Places facilities are specially adapted, accessible toilets that have a hoist, an adult-sized changing bed and grab rails. There needs to be plenty of room for manoeuvring around. The main importance, I believe, is ensuring that consideration is given right at the design stage, when there is a blank canvas, and it isn't just an add on.
On Friday, I visited a stand showing plans for the football museum in Wrexham, where the existing listed museum building will be reconfigured internally, and I asked if they could incorporate a Changing Places toilet there. But they responded that they were restricted by space and layout, as the building was listed and they're already in lengthy conversations with Cadw regarding design. But they do want to try and incorporate one; it just might not be the right size, and be slightly reduced, but they are working on it.
After that I visited the new well-being hub in Wrexham, and it's been totally refurbished, thanks to Welsh Government funding in collaboration with the health board and Wrexham council, and I was so pleased to see two Changing Places toilets incorporated—one adult and one child—which also had showers and a big changing unit. It also had kitchen units that moved up and down, it had a sensory room, and children's early years indoor and outdoor play areas, which is fantastic, and a consulting room for people with long COVID. I just thought they'd thought of everything, right at the early planning stages, which is so important.
Wrexham also have another two Changing Places toilets in various locations, and Broughton Shopping Park are going to incorporate one, along with the John Summers building in Flintshire. Jan Thomas and TCC said, 'We know from the people we work with and support that the biggest concern about going out into the community is the lack of accessible toilet facilities.' And Changing Places toilets enable all disabled people to have the same experiences as the non-disabled. It is a basic human right. Thank you.