The guidance Approved Document M (access to and use of buildings), volume two, 2015 has been amended following a consultation the provision of Changing Places toilets on the 12 May 2019 which ran for a period of 10 weeks, ending on 22 July 2019, but was then reopened for targeted consultation of sectors most likely to be affected in February 2020 using the same questions.
The guidance in paragraphs 5.6 and 5.7 has been amended to mandate for the provision of changing places toilets within appropriately sized, publicly accessible buildings. The provision states that changing places toilets should be provided in the following buildings types:
- Assembly, recreation and entertainment buildings (see note) with a capacity for 350 or more people. Or a collection of smaller buildings associated with a site used for assembly, recreation or entertainment such as: zoos, theme parks and venues for sport and exhibitions with a capacity of 2000 people or more
- Shopping centres/malls or retail parks with a gross floor area of 30,000 m2 or more
- Retail premises with a gross floor area of 2500m2 or more
- Sport and leisure buildings with a gross floor area over 5000m2
- Hospitals and primary care centres
- Crematoria and cemetery buildings.
Note: Places of assembly, recreation and entertainment can be defined as buildings such as amusement arcades; art galleries; cinemas; concert halls; conference centres; further education colleges; hotels that provide function, sport or leisure facilities; libraries open to the public; motorway service areas; museums; places of worship; theatres; university buildings open to the public.
Clarification is also provided on how the capacities should be derived in these buildings. The amendments also state that further guidance on layout and equipment is available from the changing places consortium campaign website and by reference to guidance in section 18.6, diagram 48 as well as Annexes F and G of BS 8300-2:2018.
Transitional arrangement
The changes in the amendment booklet take effect on 1st January 2021. The amendments do not apply in any case where a building notice or an initial notice has been given to, or full plans deposited with, a local authority and either the building work to which it relates has
(a) Started before that day; or
(b) by 1 March 2021
Full copy of the amendments document is available here.
This needs to be read in context with the current Approved Document M.