Changing Places toilets to help disabled residents coming to Peterborough Cathedral

A location for new Changing Places toilets in Peterborough city centre has been found – at the Cathedral, to the delight of residents.

The city council was given £80,000 in March 2022 for two new Changing Places toilets – which are larger toilet facilities which include an adult size changing mat and a hoist designed to help disabled visitors.

One set of toilets will be located at Ferry Meadows – but a location for the other toilets had not been found – and there was concern the deadline to spend the cash – which runs out in spring next year – would be reached without a solution.

Currently the only Changing Places toilets in the city are at the Car Haven car park, and disabled residents have spoken in the past of how they travel further afield – to places like Nottingham or Milton Keynes – to shop because of the lack of accessible facilities in Peterborough.

However, today the Peterborough Telegraph can reveal a location has been found in the Peterborough Cathedral precincts.

A spokesperson for Peterborough Cathedral said: “Peterborough Cathedral has been in discussions with the City Council for some time about installing Changing Places accessible toilets within our precincts.

“The Cathedral celebrates inclusivity, and to that end, we wanted to ensure sufficient facilities for all in our city centre.

“Today, we have agreed with the Council to move forward to the discovery stage of this project and investigate the probability of locating this amenity within our Visitor Learning Centre. If all goes to plan, we envisage building work starting on or before 31/03/2024.”

Councillor Julie Stevenson, who has campaigned for better facilities for disabled residents in Peterborough, welcomed the news.

She said: “We're so delighted that Peterborough is following in the footsteps of Lincoln Cathedral by becoming home to a Changing Places toilet.

"These facilities ensure disabled people and their families will be able to come into the centre of the city without having to worry about finding an accessible toilet.

"I would like to give huge thanks to the city council and the cathedral for having the vision and the determination to ensure that disabled people feel welcome in Peterborough, and I really hope other businesses will realise that a thriving city is one where everyone is included. This is a massive positive for Peterborough. I couldn't be happier about it.”

Karen Oldale, who has also campaigned for better facilities in the city for disabled residents – including trying to save hydrotherapy services in the Peterborough – said: “The update that a Changing Place toilet can be installed in the Cathedral’s precincts is really positive and encouraging news for Peterborough and its disabled visitors. The Cathedral is centrally positioned, easy to find, beautifully cared for and welcomes so many visitors, I think it could make for an ideal location.”

A spokesperson for Peterborough City Council said: "We are in discussions with the Cathedral over the possible installation of Changing Places toilets within the precincts.

"The project is at an early stage but we will continue to work with them with a view to progressing this proposal and will announce updates in due course."