Dunbar Garden Centre

bellrock

02 Aug 2023

Large garden centre with good surfaces, both inside and out.

4.5

4.5

Date of visit: July 2023

I am a carer or friend of a disabled person. I have experience of challenges around: accessing toilets, hearing and moving around.

I use or have experience of: changing places toilet, disabled toilet, hearing aid or cochlear implant, walking aid, wheelchair

Overall Rating

Excellent

We visited on a rainy day and there was plenty to look at, inside and out, as well as a spacious cafe.

Disabled Access In and Around

Excellent

There is level access from the car park and throughout the centre. A notable point is that there is a very large area for outdoor plants, which is under cover. This is all paved and easy to wheel on. The uncovered area also seemed to be paved. As we reached it, the rain poured down so we didn't investigate further but most, perhaps all, seemed to have smooth surfaces. We really appreciate this as often garden centres use gravel for their outside areas.

Parking & Transport

Excellent

There are a lot of Blue Badge spaces, with clear cross hatching, on both sides of the door. They have good paved surfaces. The rest of the car park is big, with tarmac to drive on and gravel where the cars are parked.

Accessible Toilets

Good

There are two accessible toilets, one of which is also the baby change. Both have room for a wheelchair user and assistant and grab rails on both sides. Both, however, had an issue with the red cord. In one the middle triangle was hooked round the grab rail and I couldn't get it off. I don't think you'd be able to pull it if you had fallen to the floor. In the second the cord only came down to the grab rail.

Staff

Excellent

Very helpful. When I raised the issue about the baskets (see below) with the assistant who served us she promised to pass it on.

Additional Information

The type of basket was a real issue for us. There were no normal baskets with two handles. The only ones available were the big, deep baskets that you wheel along the ground. Normally my relative would hold the basket on her lap while I pushed the chair, but there was no way we could manage a basket that needed pulled along. When she tried to push it in front of her it kept swerving to the side. This was a pity as we bought a few things which my relative could hold on her lap, but her grip is not good and we would have bought more had we had a standard basket. The rest of the centre shows real thought has gone into making it accessible, so a change to the baskets and the toilet cords would make it perfect. On the same complex there is an Asda and a pub/restaurant called The Pine Marten which I have reviewed previously.