Torbay Council’s toilet contractors, Healthmatic, have started work on creating a new Changing Places and disabled toilet in Paignton

The Festival Apollo toilet facility, which is on Paignton Seafront behind the Vue Cinema and close to the Geopark, will now be completely revamped as a disabled facility.

This new facility will include a baby changing unit along with a Changing Places facility.

Changing Places support people with profound and multiple learning disabilities, as well as those with other physical disabilities such as spinal injuries, muscular dystrophy and multiple sclerosis who often need extra equipment and space to allow them to use the toilets safely and comfortably.

The new facility will include:

• height adjustable adult-sized changing bench
• hoist system
• adequate space in the changing area for the disabled person and up to two carers
• centrally placed toilet with room either side
• screen or curtain to allow some privacy
• wide tear off paper roll to cover the bench
• large waste bin for disposable pads
• non-slip floor.

The Changing places facility will be accessed by a door coded system and the code will be available on request from Healthmatic. The disabled toilet will be on a pay to enter system, which will be set at 30p.

Councillor Robert Excell, Executive Lead for Community Safety, said: “This prime seafront location is ideal for an accessible toilet and will help to meet the needs of all people with a disability. This is a £100,000 investment into this facility and we have been working alongside Torbay Mencap, Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, Paignton Rotary Club and Preston Rotary Club to help fund, design and implement this great facility.”

The new facility will be available to use by the end of August.

A further £10,000 will be spent on deep cleaning a range of toilet facilities across the Bay to improve their standards before the school summer holidays. Further refurbishing work will also be taking place across the Bay over the coming months.