Two new Changing Places toilets have been unveiled at Crystal Palace Park and the Green Roof Café in High Elms Country Park, Farnborough as provision in Bromley continues to grow.
The new facilities - which are being managed by Crystal Palace Park Trust and the Green Roof Café - were officially opened by the Mayor of Bromley on Monday 22 January 2024. The news follows the council successfully securing over £400,000 in grant funding from the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
Construction has also completed on a third toilet at The Warren, taking the total number of Changing Places facilities open across the borough to six.
Changing Places toilets support the needs of people with complex and multiple physical and learning disabilities. These facilities are larger and contain specialist equipment, including an adult-sized changing bench and ceiling track hoist, enabling them to be used by those whose needs are not easily met by a standard accessible toilet.
Councillor Yvonne Bear, Executive Councillor for Renewal, Recreation and Housing, said: “The new Changing Places toilets are a welcome addition to the historic Crystal Palace Park and High Elms Country Park, a site of special scientific interest and local nature reserve. These parks are much-loved by residents and visitors from further afield alike, and I hope that the Changing Place facilities help to ensure that those with complex needs and their families can enjoy these wonderful public spaces. I would like to thank Crystal Palace Park Trust and the Green Roof Café for managing the facilities, and Need2Change for all their support with this work.”
The council has been working in partnership with Need2Change on the delivery of the new Changing Places facilities. Need2Change is a Bromley-based community group of parent carers dedicated to raising awareness and improving facilities for children and adults with complex disabilities and their families.
Katrina O’Leary from Need2Change said: “We are thrilled that more Changing Places are being built in Bromley and across the country. These facilities are really valued by those who cannot use a standard accessible toilet. They make such a difference to daily life - making outings possible, easier and much less stressful. It has been great working with all those involved to help introduce more of these facilities. Thank you, Bromley."
The new Changing Places toilet at Crystal Palace Park can be found by the Thicket Road car park and will be managed by Crystal Park Palace Trust, who has also completed a refurbishment of the Penge toilet block that is open to the general public.
Philip Kolvin, Co-Chair of Crystal Palace Park Trust, said: “We are delighted to announce the installation of the Changing Places toilet at Thicket Road car park and the completion of the Penge toilet block refurbishment, which now also provides enhanced accessibility. These changes will help to ensure an accessible and comfortable experience for all visitors to Crystal Palace Park. We would like to thank everyone who worked on these projects, and all those who mounted and came to the live events which helped to pay for these important facilities.”
The Changing Places toilet at High Elms Country Park can be found at the Green Roof Café, who will be responsible for the management of the facility. The café is located by the Bromley Environmental Education Centre and is open 09:30am to 16:00pm during the winter and 09:00am to 17:00pm during the summer.
Kevin French from the Green Roof Café said: “It is great to see this new Changing Places toilet officially opened. We hope that the new facilities allow many more visitors to enjoy fun and stress-free days out at our café and High Elms Country Park. A huge thank you to all involved in making this happen.”
In addition to the three new facilities, a Changing Places toilet was opened in the Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH) earlier this year, adding to existing facilities in The Glades Shopping Centre and at Bromley’s Vue Cinema.
In partnership with MyTime Active, the borough’s leisure provider, two more Changing Places toilets are due to open at Pavilion and Biggin Hill Leisure Centres over the coming months.
Further information and toilet locations are available on the Changing Places toilets website.
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For media enquiries, please contact Olivia Marshall, Public Affairs Officer, on 020 8461 7857 or email olivia.marshall@bromley.gov.uk.