North Devon’s public toilets to become stoma-friendly for almost 300 residents

Council-owned public loos in North Devon are to be made stoma-friendly.

The 11 accessible toilets will be upgraded to include a shelf, hooks, and mirrors.

North Devon Council’s strategy and resources committee gave its support on Monday and agreed to use nearly £4,000 from the authority’s revenue budget.

It hopes the move will make people with stomas feel more confident about going out in public.

Cllr Graham Bell (Non-aligned, Braunton East Ward), who proposed the motion, said around 200,000 UK residents had stomas.

Adding equipment to public loos so people could arrange their stoma supplies and change their stomas in private was “a simple and low-cost way to help decrease stigma and increase well-being for North Devon’s almost 300 stoma users,” he said.

Cllr Helen Walker (Lib Dem, Bickington) said she was really pleased to see any improvements to the accessible toilets.

“They are in good condition already, and the one in Green Lanes is 90 per cent towards being stoma-friendly with a full-length mirror,” she said.

Former staff and stoma nurse Cllr Pru Maskell (Con, Braunton West and Georgeham) said she fully supported the move as it was important people had somewhere that was dignified and private to change their stomas.

Customers will need a RADAR key to enter North Devon’s accessible toilets. These keys are widely available on the internet, and stoma users are eligible to use them. Colostomy UK’s website has information on RADAR keys on its website.