Mom shocked by the state of the Changing Places toilets in Largs

The Changing Places toilets were opened in 2019 at a cost of £36,000.

But Louise Lochrie-Turner and her family said they discovered several problems at the facility when they visited on Sunday, May 26.

Problems included signs of damp on the wall, a changing bed that didn’t work, and a toilet that didn’t flush.

Louise told the News the family had to carefully choose trips for their three-year-old son Calum, who has a muscle wasting disease, to ensure there were accessible toilets within reach.

Louise said: “Calum’s illness makes him immobile, so it means we have to be careful about where we go when we go out.

“It was very disappointing to experience issues with the Changing Places toilets. These facilities should be checked regularly to prevent these sorts of things from happening.

“I was quite surprised. I’ve been to many places, including Glasgow, and the facilities we encountered were of a high standard.

“This is the first one we’ve found that isn’t working properly.

“I thought it shouldn’t have taken a member of the public to report the problem. It should have been checked regularly.”

Calum’s grandfather Bobby Turner said: “When she went to raise the bed it didn’t work. Additionally, the toilet did not flush and there were signs of damp on the walls. »

The family raised their concerns with independent local councilor Ian Murdoch.

He said: “The installation of the Changing Places toilets was carried out before the toilet renovation and cost around £36,000.

“I will request an inspection as soon as possible.

Councilor Ian Murdoch demanded immediate inspection (Image: Newsquest)

“It’s disappointing because you don’t expect that in such a large facility. I have written to council officers.

“I have been aware for some time of an ongoing problem with drainage water and rainwater, and it was being looked into by jetting contractors, with problems with flooding of newly renovated toilets, a worth £300,000, next door.

“I wasn’t sure what work was done or why, but it may have been related in some way.

“I asked senior officers to have this inspected and also asked if it was in any way linked to the recently refurbished public toilets, worth £300,000.”

A North Ayrshire Council spokesperson said: “We have mobile officers who are on site twice a day cleaning the Largs facility and are not aware of any particular issues at the site.

“We are sorry that the family was not happy with the facilities. If they would like to contact us directly we can speak to them, find out more about the A North Ayrshire Council spokesperson said: “We have mobile officers who are on site twice a day to clean the facilities at Largs and are not aware of specific problems. the site.

“We are sorry that the family was not happy with the facilities. If they want to contact us directly, we can talk to them, learn more about the particular issues they’ve had, and see if there’s anything else we can do.

The Changing Places installation was funded by the Largs Seaside Parking Fund.

The move was welcomed by access campaigners, who said it would give disabled relatives “back their dignity”.