Sandown Town Council Rejects Complaint Over Accessible Toilet Access At Eastern Gardens

Sandown Town Council (STC) on the Isle of Wight has faced a complaint over its accessible toilet in Eastern Gardens.

A member of the public expressed concern that the facility is available to all instead of being restricted by RADAR key access, arguing this may result in disabled people having to wait to use toilets designed to meet their needs.

The complaint was brought up at an STC meeting last night (Monday).

It said standard toilets do not provide the same accessibility features such as grab rails or sufficient space for wheelchair users.

Royal Association for Disability and Rehabilitation (RADAR) keys open more than 10,000 disabled toilets across the UK, according to the Motability Scheme.

Cllr Paddy Lightfoot tabled a successful proposal for STC not to uphold the complaint, telling the meeting they were complying with the law, and guidance on the issue.

The complainant can still appeal through the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman watchdog, Sandown mayor Alex Lightfoot said.

If the complaint is specifically about discrimination or a failure to make reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act, legal enforcement against the council could be taken through the courts, he added.

The complaint requested access be limited to RADAR key due to disabled users typically having access to only one suitable toilet facility, while able bodied users have multiple alternatives, Cllr Lightfoot said.

Reading out points from the clerk’s response to the complaint, he said:

“Under the Equality Act 2010, service providers including councils must ensure that disabled people are not placed at substantial disadvantage when accessing public facilities – this includes toilets.

“However, the act does not require disabled toilets to be restricted exclusively to RADAR key users, nor does it prevent them from being available to the general public.

“Restricting access can itself create barriers, particularly for people with hidden disabilities, carers or those who may not have a RADAR key but still require accessible features.”

Mayor Lightfoot said he was happy with the clerk’s response, despite the complainant being unhappy with it.