500 signatures reached
To: Eastbourne Arndale Centre
Keep Our Family Toilet Facilities in Eastbourne Arndale Centre
Stop the removal of a family toilet facility in the Arndale Centre as part of the redevelopment project. Plus, in the meantime, designate one of the current disabled toilets as "Disabled/Family".
Why is this important?
As part of the multimillion pound redevelopment project of the Eastboure Arndale Shopping Centre the decision has been made to remove the only family toilet facility in the centre.
This means that any parent/guardian/carer out shopping alone with a baby or small child/children are unable to use a toilet that will accommodate a buggy or pushchair.
As a new mum, on discovery of this development I have made enquiries with the Arndale whose response has been that the current family toilet will be replaced with a further specialist disabled toilet facility and will require a special RADAR key to access. There are no current plans to replace this lost facility but they are "currently exploring ways in which we can extend our current toilet provision in the future. With the development we are unable to comment on detailed plans but there will be toilets provided by the cinema and restaurants in the extension. We plan to make one of the cubicles in the ladies toilets more accessible to larger pushchairs and are exploring these options at the moment."
There are a few issues with this statement: parents shouldn't have to use the facilities of a shop/restaurant etc when they are in the centre (which charges to park), there is no mention of plans to make a family sized cubicle in the men's toilet (do men not shop with their children without a female?), can single parents not shop in the Arndale until 2018 when the development works are due to complete?
This means that any parent/guardian/carer out shopping alone with a baby or small child/children are unable to use a toilet that will accommodate a buggy or pushchair.
As a new mum, on discovery of this development I have made enquiries with the Arndale whose response has been that the current family toilet will be replaced with a further specialist disabled toilet facility and will require a special RADAR key to access. There are no current plans to replace this lost facility but they are "currently exploring ways in which we can extend our current toilet provision in the future. With the development we are unable to comment on detailed plans but there will be toilets provided by the cinema and restaurants in the extension. We plan to make one of the cubicles in the ladies toilets more accessible to larger pushchairs and are exploring these options at the moment."
There are a few issues with this statement: parents shouldn't have to use the facilities of a shop/restaurant etc when they are in the centre (which charges to park), there is no mention of plans to make a family sized cubicle in the men's toilet (do men not shop with their children without a female?), can single parents not shop in the Arndale until 2018 when the development works are due to complete?
