British Toilet Association: Archived News from the British Toilet Association 

Baby Changing Facilities For Kent Mums “Horrendous”

Many baby changing facilities for Mums in Kent are “horrendous” or non-existent, according to a survey carried out by Kent Cleaning Solutions (http://www.Kentcleaningsolutions.co.uk)

The survey, which was conducted amongst 83 Kent mothers with babies or toddlers, indicated that although there were some good changing facilities in Kent, most mums thought there were a far greater number of facilities that were woefully inadequate.

Shockingly, two thirds of all changing facilities they had used in Kent were rated as failing to meet the basic requirements of being clean, odour free and having a toilet for the mother.

The facilities in the shopping area of Maidstone, for example, which is one of the largest cities in Kent, were described as “horrendous”. The main shopping centre in Chatham was also berated as not having a changing facility at all.

Overall, many mums said that if they were in a place where changing facilities were poor, they would rather change their baby at home than use facilities that were either dirty, cramped, had no toilet for the mother or had no nappy disposal facilities.

On the positive side, some facilities were rated as excellent and the top 5 venues were:

• Bluewater
• Marks and Spencer’s in Maidstone
• Sainsburys in Larkfield
• Dunelm Mill in Maidstone
• The Playbarn in Ashford

Bluewater received five times more votes than the number two venue (Mark and Spencer’s in Maidstone). Bluewater was cited as being well equipped, clean and spacious, with a separate toilet for adults, all within the baby changing area.

One mum who took part in the survey was Hayley Freeman-Brown, 28, from Iwade. “With a 3 year old and another one on the way decent changing facilities…. are essential. Going out with one or more babies is stressful enough without having to search for a changing facility that has a toilet, is spacious, odour-free, and clean.”

16 July, 2010