Council nets Government cash to upgrade and improve special public toilets

Wigan borough currently has seven accredited CPTs, six of which are in Wigan town centre and one in Leigh Sports Village.

The four locations which will see new ones as part of the bid are: Haigh Woodland Park, Howe Bridge Leisure Centre, Leigh town centre and Pennington Flash Country Park.

The Changing Places Fund is delivered in partnership with Muscular Dystrophy UK but the facilities are not simply for people with that condition, but those with many other complex needs.

Charlotte Cordingley, assistant director for corporate property, assets and greenspaces, said: “We are thrilled to have received this funding which widens the potential for all residents to visit and enjoy even more locations across our borough.

“We already have seven Changing Places Toilets and are incredibly pleased that we are able to widen this offer even further to include facilities across the borough, including at Haigh Woodland Park, Howe Bridge Leisure Centre, Pennington Flash Country Park and in Leigh town centre.

“The facilities will complement existing disabled and accessible toilets across the borough and the locations have been chosen based on their high levels of footfall.

“We are committed to making sure that everybody has access a toilet with suitable facilities and so we are looking forward to seeing these plans come to fruition in the 18 months to improve the lives of many of our disabled residents.”

The Changing Places Fund forms part of the National Disability Strategy launched in 2021.

The strategy made a public commitment to make £30m in funding available over three years to councils in England with the objective to increase both the number and geographic spread of CPTs and to provide them in venues of greatest need.

The Government (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government) in partnership with Muscular Dystrophy UK called for expressions of interest from local authorities of locations to install CPTs to dovetail regulation changes that will make them compulsory in new large high-footfall buildings.

The pre-existing CPTs are at the following locations:

Three at Wigan Life Centre

Wigan Bus Station

Mesnes Park

Hop Skip and Jump

Leigh Sports Village

Thanks for reading. If you value what we do and are able to support us, a digital subscription is just £1 for your first month. Try us today by clicking here