Council 'farce' means longer wait for toilet fobs

Hundreds of people may have to reapply for a fob to an accessible toilet after a council said it had not been clear on the medical criteria.

Mansfield District Council said 600 people had applied for access to the toilet at the Four Seasons site, which opened to the public on 9 July.

Applicants now say they have been told to reapply - after the authority said it previously "hadn't been clear on the criteria" concerning an applicant's medical needs.

Felicity Benyon, who has a stoma fitted and applied for access, said it was a "farce" that people would have to go through the process again.

The new application round will ask more questions about the challenges faced by prospective users, so it can better determine whether someone needs access.

The council said those who applied previously would be prioritised.

A spokesperson apologised for the inconvenience but said alternative facilities were available.

They added: "There is also another Changing Places available in the town centre at Mansfield Museum, which is freely available to anyone during the museum's routine opening hours."

In lieu of access keys, the local authority currently recommends that people needing to use the facility ask a member of staff on-site to let them in.

However, Ms Benyon said that it would not work for people needing to access the facility in an emergency.

The first application period for an access fob opened alongside the toilet, meaning those who applied have been waiting for over four months.

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