CAMPAIGNERS say Page Park is finally accessible to everyone, after the completion of a £245,000 project to provide toilets for people with severe disabilities.
The park’s original toilet block, which closed seven years ago, has been transformed with the help of a £52,000 grant from the government’s Changing Places scheme.
That money has paid for a toilet with extra facilities for people with severe disabilities, including hoists, curtains, extra space for carers and an adult-sized changing table.
But the revamped block also includes two other toilets open to all, which include a baby changing table, space for wheelchairs and hands-free washing and drying facilities.
Opened near the start of the school holidays, the loos are already proving popular with park users.
The revamp has taken years of planning, with South Gloucestershire Council working with disability groups including Muscular Dystrophy UK and volunteers from the Friends of Page Park, who raised £20,000 towards the project.
Another £40,000 came from Community Infrastructure Levy money paid to the council by developers, which was secured by Staple Hill & Mangotsfield ward councillors Ian Boulton, Michael Bell and Katie Cooper.
More than 30 people including councillors and council workers, Friends of Page Park, disability groups and park users celebrated the official opening of the block at the end of July.
Colin Ivey of Aspirations Support, a charity based next to the Park on South View which supports people with learning disabilities and mental health conditions, said: “This is massive – you can’t really achieve inclusion without facilities like this. It’s really vital for people with disabilities themselves and those who support them.”
“This is a beautiful park and it should be able to be accessed by everyone, at any level of ability and disability. That kind of access should be a right and not a privilege for people.”
Council cabinet member for communities Sean Rhodes said: “We want to make our parks and open spaces available to everyone, and having accessible toilets and facilities that meet everyone’s needs are important to enable all visitors to spend time in the area.
“Everyone has the right to access green and open space, and not being able to use the toilet has been a barrier to using one of our busiest parks.”
Ward councillor Katie Cooper said: “Having a facility like this is liberating – there should be on in every community.”
Friends vice-chair Steph Purser said: “It’s an amazing facility and it opens the park up for lots of people.
“It makes standing in the cold selling our fundraising calendars worthwhile.”
Steph said that since the toilets opened they have been proving popular with all park users and said: “We hope everyone will respect them.”
The toilets are open from 8am to 7pm, seven days a week, from April to September and 8am to 4pm between October and March.
An electronic fob is needed to open the Changing Places toilet.
People who need one can register and pick one up to keep at the council’s One Stop Shop in Kingswood Civic Centre.