Fresh toilet facilities and riverside garden open in Sleaford

New public conveniences for Sleaford including a dedicated Changing Places facility were ready for their first flush of visitors from Wednesday (November 4), alongside a tranquil riverside garden now open for the community to enjoy.

The new Changing Places facility at 25b Southgate, accessed via Money’s Yard car park, includes a height-adjustable changing bench and sink, shower and ceiling hoist, all within a larger space designated for people who can’t use standard accessible toilets. There’s also a disabled toilet, plus other toilets and baby changing available separately for a 20p charge. They are open from 8am until 5pm daily.

The facility, owned and renovated by North Kesteven District Council, sits alongside a new riverside garden containing flowerbeds around two protected copper beech trees and with benches inviting people to take in the scenery. It’s completed by a café kiosk to let and awaiting an operator, as well as information plaques on plants and homes for wildlife plus other features. 

There is also new commercial space to let upstairs, in the form of self-contained office space with kitchenette, toilet and two fireplaces among other features. Downstairs, the ground floor café kiosk has its own food preparation space and outdoor seating area. Both benefit from the building’s prime location next to the site of the forthcoming cinema, including a planned path along the riverside to the finished cinema, says the council. Enquiries for both can be made through agents BTG Eddisons. As well as improvements to the interior and exterior of 25b Southgate to preserve its heritage and bring it into use for the community and small businesses, there are now dedicated CCTV cameras to enhance security. The building’s EPC rating has also been enhanced through the works – from an F to a C, says the council.

North Kesteven District Council Leader Councillor Richard Wright said: “We’re proud of this new facility and the fact it gives people the confidence to enjoy Sleaford and comfortably spend more time here, including providing dignity and accessibility to those who need it through the Changing Places facilities, along with a tranquil space in the town centre to enjoy the river. “It’s been a real transformation inside and out – turning what was an overgrown private garden into a beautiful community riverside space for everyone to enjoy and preserving a building that is part of Sleaford’s heritage.

“It adds to all of the investment led by the district council in Sleaford including improving public realm across the town, repairing and protecting historic shopfronts, of course the coming cinema and additionally the first phase of Old Sidings Masterplan public engagement that’s live now.” The council says there are a range of essential costs to maintain the new toilets including supplies and utilities, plumbing and regular water supply and safety checks, which it says have led to the necessary 20p charge (to the standard toilet facilities only). These are payable by contactless and card on entry via a turnstile. There are no plans for charges to the public toilets at the Hub, also owned by the council. Councillor Wright added: “The 20p charge we’ve had to apply won’t cover all of the ongoing costs of operating these new toilets at 25b Southgate, which we estimate will be around £25,000 per year, but will go directly towards ensuring the facilities remain a high-quality provision for everyone who uses them.”

Build Manager is the contractor which carried out the works, working in conjunction with Core Architects, BTG Eddisons as Client Administrator and the council’s Economic Development Team.

Director of Build Manager Ben Taylor said: “This has been a fantastic first project for Build Manager working with North Kesteven District Council, and one we're incredibly proud to have delivered. Refurbishing a building over 230 years old certainly comes with its surprises, particularly when you're working alongside a river, protected trees and within an area of archaeological interest. However, working closely with the council and design team, we've been able to overcome those challenges and transform a tired building and overgrown garden into something the whole community can enjoy.

“Beyond the visible transformation, we've also made significant improvements to the building's energy efficiency, helping to reduce future running costs and give this historic property a new lease of life.”

The building’s walls, floors and roof spaces are now highly insulated, which is expected to reduce energy costs by around £3,000 a year in line with the council’s continued drive to make its services as energy efficient as possible.

Meanwhile, within the riverside garden there are bat boxes, swift boxes and an insect hotel to support riverside biodiversity. Wildlife including insects have also benefitted from the protection afforded by the less invasive hand-digging which took place to preserve the tree roots onsite while works were carried out. 

That hand-digging onsite as part of drainage works revealed a beautiful millstone which now takes pride of place in the garden. Soil that was hand-dug was also sifted through as part of archaeology onsite in case smaller artefacts were hiding.

There’s evidence to say the house was built between 1791 and 1794 by miller William Almond on land which came to be known as ‘Almond’s Yard’. Its address during the 19th century was 1 Almond’s Yard, and was later also known as Beech Cottage, named after the two copper beech trees in the garden.

The site lies at the heart of the industrial and commercial part of Sleaford that developed between the Southgate frontages and Carre Street from the late 18th century onwards, and is an important phase in its economic history and development. It abuts the south bank of the River Slea, which was made navigable in 1792 with the addition of a turning loop known as ‘The Cut’. This benefited those properties along its banks, particularly the nearby corn windmill.

In addition to considerations due to the site’s heritage, the proximity of it to the river meant the Environment Agency was also kept informed through the works.  The new Changing Places facility is being listed on sites including the Stoma Friendly and Changing Places websites to help people plan their visits to Sleaford and reassure that the facilities they need are there. Both the Changing Places facility and disabled toilet are accessed via RADAR key.

Similar facilities also operate at the Rainbow Stars hub in Watergate, Sleaford, boosting the town’s disability-friendly profile.