Kingsgate Shopping Centre
3.5
3.5
Date of visit: November 2020
I have experience of challenges around: moving around and understanding.
Overall Rating
Good
QMU Student. Visited the Kingsgate centre various times throughout the week to assess how accessible it was. Busy shopping centre with good variety of shops, built on two levels.
Disabled Access In and Around
Good
There is access to the centre at 2 separate points going onto the ground floor. One of these is directly from the highstreet, opposite Primark. There are automatic doors in place and it is very flat and accessible. The second entrance on the ground floor is behind the Kingsgate and has an accessible ramp and stairs. There is also 2 ways to access the first floor. One coming in from James Street, where the bus also drops you off. These are automatic doors with push buttons however be aware one of these doors is currently broken and not in operation. Another entrance is coming in from a side street near the bus station and toilets are available here, there is an escalator and lift up to this entrance/exit but no escalator down. There are no seats available inside due to Covid-19 however there are some benches available on the highstreet outside of Marks and Spencers. There is another lift available down the corridor beside body shop. This corridor is quite narrow due to amazon lockers being placed in. Toilets are also available here. Lifts are also available in some shops within the centre, in Debenhams, M&S and New Look.
Parking & Transport
Good
The bus stop is right outside the Kingsgate centre on both sides which is convenient and the bus station is within a 5 minute walk, although the walk may take you over some cobbles. There is little to no parking near-by, the nearest/safest car park would be on New Row which is a 5-10 minute walk away. This can be very busy especially during peak hours. It is also a very steep hill up into the centre on town. There is more parking available at the retail park (Matalan ect) across the main road at the back of the centre but it is a very busy road to cross and exits from the car park are stairs unless walking on the road.
Accessible Toilets
Good
There are accessible toilets on the ground and 1st floor. They are rather large and have grab rails fitted within as well as a pull cord. However, they are not always very clean and are very busy.
Staff
Good
Security staff are lovely and always willing to help if needed, they are constantly patrolling around the centre.
Additional Information
There is a one way system in place to be followed by all and hand sanistiser is available at all entrances/exits and within shops. These can run out quickly due to high volumes of people so I would recommend also bringing your own. A mask is also recommended to be worn at all times. This is a very busy centre especially between peak hours (12-3) so occasionally social distancing cannot be followed fully. If you prefer a quieter experience then I would recommend going outside these hours.
