Police agree mixed sex changing is a problem - BBC

[DuchessofReality]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdxqll74xnpo

Interesting (and heartening) to see the police come out in favour of single sex changing rooms. If you click through to the document in the article you can see that the police reference the FWS judgement. They also document crime incidents at the current leisure centre.

This could be a rich seam of information for FOI requests.

Very interesting, and no surprise. My DCs swim at a big Swim England-affiliated club and the pool has a “changing village.” There are REGULAR warnings sent by the club about men trying to film children in the changing village and even just in the “open” showers (the ones where they are wearing their cozzies) after practice. The pool keeps banning them, but more keep popping up.

I mentioned this problem a while ago here and one of our regular ploppers immediately told me I must live in a “shithole.” It’s called society, baby. Welcome to the reality and persistence of creepy males’ desires.

What an odd comment from the plopper. I’m sure you don’t live in a shithole but even if you did, it would be nice if provision was made for women that reduced sexual assault and voyeurism.

People living in shitholes have rights and deserve privacy too! 😅

There’s a few prize quote in that article. I think it’s important to emphasise this-
“Hertfordshire Constabulary told a planning meeting it could not support Stevenage Borough Council's plan to replace the town's existing swimming pool with a new £44m leisure centre.”

The references to sexual assault as well as voyeurism seem significant too.

Wtf's the point of building something with reduced facilities. Couldn't they just update what's already there.
Women's groups have been giving statistics like this for ages, but of course haven't been listened to. Thankfully there's some sensible input from the police in this instance.

It beggars belief that anyone couldn’t see the potential problems with mixed sex changing, why not have a section of ‘family changing areas’ plus male and female?

Well if they go ahead with mixed sex changing facilities when tge inevitable happens and sexually predatory man behaves as the predator he is the council will be liable because they were warned about the risks (by the police no less) and chose to ignore them instead of taking simple action whilst at the planning stage to ameliorate them.
Can't wait to hear their excuses to a judge and or jury (fascination of a crime is a crime in itself)

The police officer told the meeting: "There have already been reports of voyeurism in the existing mixed-changing facilities and this could increase if mixed facilities are provided."

The officer suggested redesigning the facility as "doing so would also demonstrate that the issue of violence towards women and girls has been

Do sex offenders have a PC under PSED?
Because women and young children do.

149Public sector equality duty
(1)A public authority must, in the exercise of its functions, have due regard to the need to—
(a)eliminate
• discrimination,
• harassment,
• victimisation and
• any other conduct that is prohibited by or under this Act;

(b)advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it;

(c)foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it.

(2)A person who is not a public authority but who exercises public functions must, in the exercise of those functions, have due regard to the matters mentioned in subsection (1).

(3)Having due regard to the need to advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it involves having due regard, in particular, to the need to—
(a)
• remove or
• minimise
disadvantages suffered by persons who share a relevant protected characteristic that are connected to that characteristic;

(b)take
• steps to meet the needs of persons
who share a relevant protected characteristic that are different from the needs of persons who do not share it;

(c)encourage persons who share a relevant protected characteristic to
• participate in public life or
• in any other activity in which participation by such persons is disproportionately low.

(4)The steps involved in meeting the needs of disabled persons that are different from the needs of persons who are not disabled include, in particular, steps to take account of disabled persons' disabilities.

(5)Having due regard to the need to foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it involves having due regard, in particular, to the need to—
(a)tackle prejudice, and
(b)promote understanding.

(6)Compliance with the duties in this section may involve treating some persons more favourably than others; but that is not to be taken as permitting conduct that would otherwise be prohibited by or under this Act.

(7)The relevant protected characteristics are—

• age;
• disability;
• gender reassignment;
• pregnancy and maternity;
• race;
• religion or belief;
• sex;
• sexual orientation.

(8)A reference to conduct that is prohibited by or under this Act includes a reference to—
(a)a breach of an equality clause or rule;
(b)a breach of a non-discrimination rule.
(9)Schedule 18 (exceptions) has effect.

They've already had 76 crimes reported in a single year - including 20 assaults. There's no consequences for them.

This issue is why I gave up swimming, so it's refreshing to see a police force objecting on these grounds and making the point so clearly and precisely.

So is the proposed new design even in accordance with current legislation, Building Regs, etc?

Also highlights the luxury beliefs of the plopper. Can’t understand the need for safe communal spaces = can afford ‘better’ for themselves.

Sadly, I feel that most of the UK has become a shithole now

My local pool is a small Victorian swimming baths with the original solid pitch pine cubicles around the pool for individual changing, plus a few new larger cubicles for family changing.
There are also separate smallish male and female changing areas, each with a mix of open showers and shower cubicles.
This seems like a very good arrangement to me. I prefer to use a cubicle to change, and parents don't have to put a child into an opposite sex changing room or toilet as there are loos accessible from the poolside.
If this range of facilities can be squeezed into a tiny old baths building, how come these multimillion pound new leisure centres can't manage it?

If this range of facilities can be squeezed into a tiny old baths building, how come these multimillion pound new leisure centres can't manage it?

Yes, it’s odd isn’t it? Until you look at some of the men up and down the country championing mixed sex spaces and count the number of convictions for sex offences they have between them.

I am a bit confused as to why they are allowed to work in positions of authority with convictions - surely this proves exactly why they shouldn’t.

Give that Herts police officer all the medals.
Be great if more risk assessments of these changing villages were done BEFORE spades go in the ground.

Thank you moto748e, I have Document T of the Building Regs on speed-dial, but often it's pointed out that they only apply in England.
This case is about England so I think we can categorically state that any new leisure centre or whatever MUST have separate men's and women's toilets and may have additional 'universal' mixed sex toilets if they want them - but they must be as well as and not instead of sex-segregated spaces.

Building regs T1.
(1) Toilet accommodation in buildings other than dwellings—

(a) must consist of—
(i) (ii) reasonable provision for male and female single-sex toilets, or where space precludes provision of single-sex toilets, universal toilets, and

(b) may consist of universal toilets in addition to single-sex toilets.

(2) In this requirement— “single-sex toilet” means toilet facilities which—
(a) are intended for the exclusive use of persons of the same sex, and
(b) provide washbasins and hand-drying facilities in—
(i) either the toilet room or cubicle, or
a separate area intended for use only by persons of that sex.

“universal toilet” means toilet facilities which— (a) are provided in a fully enclosed room which contains a water closet and washbasin and hand-drying facilities, and (b) is intended for individual use by persons of either sex.
Toilet accommodation: Approved Document T

The officer suggested redesigning the facility as "doing so would also demonstrate that the issue of violence towards women and girls has been considered".

That might just be an idea.