Public toilets are to finally be built at Forfar Loch after locals and visitors have been left hanging on for four years.
But the £132,000 project has been overshadowed by a decision not to have Changing Places provision in the new block because they might be vandalised.
It has been branded “a big mistake” by disability campaigners.
They say they area is “sending out the wrong message” to people with profound learning or physical disabilities and those with spinal injuries and conditions such as spina bifida and multiple sclerosis.
Funding
Angus councillors agreed an extra £15,000 to add to £62,700 already promised from the Forfar common good fund.
The remaining £55,000 will come from the Forfar town centre improvement pot.
The scheme has been on the cards since Lochside leisure centre was closed, leaving visitors to the popular country park without any permanent toilets.
Temporary loos were repeatedly vandalised and council chiefs say the risk of damage to a Changing Places toilet it too great.
The council received around 40 public consultation responses calling for the enhanced provision.
Changing Places toilets are large enough to accommodate a wheelchair and up to two carers, and include an overhead hoist, peninsular basin and height-adjustable changing bench.
Inclusion
Jenny Miller, chief executive of PAMIS, the co-founders and current co-chair of the Changing Places toilet consortium, said the decision was “a big mistake”.
“We are really disappointed because Forfar Loch is a beautiful place and I think they have shot themselves in the foot a bit when it comes to tourism,” she said.
“The lack of Changing Places toilets is one of the biggest barriers to inclusion for over 250,000 people across the UK.
“The impact of Covid on the group of people that PAMIS support means that access to outdoor physical activity will be more important than ever before.
“Life is and has been challenging enough without having to have your personal care needs met in the back of a car or on the floor of other toilets.
“Forfar Loch is a lovely place and people could plan to go there if they knew there was a changing places toilet. It is a real shame.”
Debate closed down
Arbroath councillor Lois Speed failed in a last-ditch attempt to delay the decision.
A mother of profoundly disabled twins and dedicated disability rights campaigner, Ms Speed said: “What sort of message does this send out from Angus?
Council leader David Fairweather ruled her move to defer the decision as incompetent because of the time sensitive nature of securing the town centre funding.
Arbroath councillor Ms Speed – who quit the Angus administration earlier this year amidst claims of an unhealthy culture at the top of the ruling group – was then shut down by the leader in her attempts to speak on the issue.
She said: “I felt what I had to say was valuable, but I was not allowed to do that.
“I think the vandalism reason has been used as an excuse not to provide a Changing Places toilet and I am asking for evidence around that from officials.
“This was disappointing and it was an uncomfortable situation in the meeting.
“But it is not a new experience for me from what has gone on in the past few months and I would not say I was too surprised.
“I previously made a plea for more kindness and compassion in politics and I think that was missing again,” she said.
Work is expected to start soon on the new loos and they will open all year round.
‘Long time coming’
Forfar councillor Lynne Devine said: “This has been such a long time coming – four years – and a lot of back and forth.
“We desperately need these toilets and unfortunately the price has gone up.
“We really need this £15,000 (common good funding) to allow us get the £55,000 from the town centre fund.
“If we lost that where would that £55,000 come from?
“I don’t think it would be coming from the common good fund and then the people of Forfar would have no toilets at the loch
“I understand the reasoning behind the changing places toilet but we have three in Forfar of the ten changing places toilets in Angus, albeit they are not central.
“But as new buildings are built we can get more toilets in a safe place where they are not open to vandalism and I think that’s really where they need to be.”