Where Are We with the Changing Places Toilet for Tyndrum?
As a small business with a passion for supporting the wider community and accessible tourism, we want to draw attention to The Tyndrum Infrastructure Group's efforts to build a Changing Places Toilet in Tyndrum and provide an update.
The Tyndrum Infrastructure Group is a small community charity which has been working on building a CPT facility in Tyndrum for years and is currently campaigning the Scottish Government to open the pledged funding.Changing Places Toilets are invaluable to people with disabilities and their families and without their provision it's almost impossible to lead a dignified life.
Having a Changing Places Toilet in Tyndrum will make the West of Scotland more accessible to individuals with disabilities and their families and open up the North end of the National Park to day trippers from the central belt.Tyndrum is a priority rural location in the middle of a black hole in terms of CPT facility provision. It's disheartening that in a country that prides itself on inclusivity, there aren't sufficient sanitary facilities to meet everyone's needs.
Ready to Build but there's No Capital
Update from Sarah
We were delighted to hear that the charity has recently received planning approval from The National Park Authority to build the facility in Tyndrum at The Green Welly Stop and it has now got everything in place to build it and in theory could open it to users in 2024. The only thing missing, however, is the necessary but pledged capital.
Our founder and co-owner Sarah Heward who has been leading the campaign says: "Happily, progress has been made this year and we now have a scheme with planning consent that could be built and opened in 2024, if just 2-3% of the promised funding was bought forward by The Scottish Government." If you've been following the charity's journey, you know that it launched a parliamentary petition and submitted an open letter to the First Minister."
Furthermore, following the World Toilet Day on November 19th, Sarah sent emails to all 129 MSP's in The Scottish Parliament and The Scottish Government, highlighting the campaign and the charity's need for capital funding and asking for their support.
She said: "Having already petitioned the Government and written an open letter to the First Minister which was countersigned by 36 charities and community groups, we hope this letter to each and every MSP might finally help us move the dial in a meaningful manner."
Then on December 3rd Sarah attended a Summit to mark International Day of Persons with Disabilities in the Chamber at The Scottish Parliament of which she said: "This Summit was an inaugural event and so in that alone it was a step forward. It was also a chance to highlight our campaign to an influential audience, hear from inspirational speakers and remember that we aren't campaigning in a vacuum, although it sometimes seems that way."
And More Debating
Then on January 9th, there was a debate in The Scottish Parliament about the Changing Places Toilet (CPT) provision in Scotland, tabled by Jeremy Balfour MSP.
There were some passionate contributions by MSP's from across the house during the debate and if you watch it, you can make your own mind up about the contributions and response from the Minister, Maree Todd MSP.
You can watch the debate here.
We're Not Losing Hope
In Sarah's words: "Despite it being a slog and terrible omission for those that desperately need the facilities, we have no doubt that this loo will somehow get built in Tyndrum in the foreseeable future."
We are urging the Scottish Government to make good on their 2021 manifesto pledge and make the funds available not only to TIG but to every charity and community that wants to get these vital facilities built.
