Disabled residents in Redditch are set to benefit from new state-of-the-art facilities this year.

A ‘changing places’ toilet, which aims to make it easier for disabled children and adults to have days out in the town, is being brought to the Kingfisher Shopping Centre through its partnership with Redditch Borough Council and Redditch BID.  

The facilities are designed for people who cannot use standard disabled toilets and comes with additional accessibility equipment such as hoists and adult sized changing benches.

Redditch Borough Council’s portfolio holder for community services Lucy Harrison said: “Everyone wants to be able to have worry-free days out to go shopping and enjoy a bit of heritage and culture.

“Whatever you want to do in Redditch, ensuring the town is accessible to all is a council priority.”

The new £127,000 asset is coming to the town after the venue, the council and BID put up £45,000, £22,000 and £20,000 respectively and secured a final £40,000 from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC).

Redditch’s bid to the DLUHC was championed by local Paralympian Leanna Horne and supported by Young Solutions, the Myriad Centre, Spectrum Days and Chadsgrove School who all work with disabled people as well as the Cultural Compact for North East Worcestershire.

Ms Horne said: “Redditch has wanted a facility like this in the centre for years, and it will now mean that people like me who go out and about with friends or a personal assistant can enjoy a day out without the added anxiety of how we are going to access the toilet.

“It’s a problem I’m delighted to see corrected in Redditch.”

The Kingfisher shopping Centre was chosen due to its central location after a 2021 study of disabled consumers revealed families and carers wanted the new facilities built near major transport centres and country parks.

The changing places toilet will also complement other accessibility facilities in the shopping centre including changing rooms and the council’s integrated Shopmobility and Dial-A-Ride community services. 

The Kingfisher Shopping Centre’s General Manager, Adrian Field, said: “We are delighted to be installing the Changing Places facility in the Kingfisher Centre for the use of visitors to Redditch.

“Toilet provision is such an important factor in where people go to and how long they visit and through a brilliant collaboration of partners, we can collectively improve the experience for those who need what will be a superb facility.”