Work Starts on Accessible Toilets at Clitheroe Beauty Spots

The Changing Places toilets are being installed at the popular Clitheroe Castle Park and Edisford riverbank making them accessible to people with severe disabilities.

The state-of-the-art toilets will featurehoists, curtains, showers, grab rails, adult-sized changing benches, privacy screens and space for carers.

People with severe disabilities often face the option of being stuck at home, limiting fluid intake on days out, or the unhygienic and undignified prospect of having to be changed on dirty toilet floors.

But now they will be able to visit two of Clitheroe’s most popular spots in comfort and dignity.

The new toilets are being funded by the Government and Ribble Valley Borough Council, and the project overseen by Muscular Dystrophy UK.

Ribble Valley Borough Council leader Stephen Atkinson said: “People with severe disabilities or restricted mobilitycannot use standard accessible toilets, as they do not provide changing benches or hoists and most are too small to accommodate more than one person.

“This means theyface major barriers to shopping, going out, or travelling, or their careris forced to change them on a toilet floor, which is dangerous, unhygienic and undignified.

“We take the visitor economy seriously in Ribble Valley and have built a strong narrative over the years on being a friendly and attractive borough, and these toilets will ensure that we can extend a warm welcome to even more people at two of our most popular visitor spots.”

Ribble Valley Borough Council’s tourism and events officer, Tom Pridmore, added: “The Clitheroe Castle park and Edisford are very popular and already provide some inclusive facilities, including wheelchair and pushchair-friendly walkways, and dedicated riverbank parking.

“But we want to continue making the borough’s public spaces as accessible as possible and these toilets will extend a warm welcome to people with severe disabilities.”

Work on the toilets is expected to be completed by June in time for the summer season.

You can find the location of other Changing Places Toilets at www.changing-places.org