£30m Fund to Help Install Changing Places Toilets in England

Local authorities in England can now apply to a new £30m fund to help install life-enhancing Changing Places toilets in public places and tourist attractions.

At the March 2020 Budget, the Chancellor announced a £30 million Changing Places Fund to accelerate provision of Changing Places toilets in existing buildings in England. They have now issued a prospectus which sets out how local authorities can access this fund.

Muscular Dystrophy UK (MDUK) are co-Chairs of the Consortium and will work in partnership with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) to deliver this funding programme.

Changing Places toilets are larger accessible toilets for severely disabled people, with equipment such as hoists, privacy screens, adult-sized changing benches, peninsula toilets and space for carers.

District and Unitary local authorities in England are being invited to “opt in” to receive a proportion of this funding, to install these vital facilities in their communities.

A total of £30 million is available through this fund.

Every local authority that opts into this programme will be able to receive funding equivalent to the average cost of installing at least one Changing Places toilet in their area (based on cost average assumption of £40,000).

Local authorities will have access to advice and information from dedicated Changing Places Support Officers. They will help to guide local authorities through the process for choosing the location, to designing and planning the installation through to registration as a Changing Places toilet.

Expressions of interest must be submitted online by the deadline of 26 September 2021.