'Pervert's charter' claims over Teignmouth leisure centre changing

'Are you malign or merely incompetent?'

Teignbridge Council has been accused of creating a ‘pervert’s charter’ with its decision to introduce ‘village-style’ unisex changing rooms at one of its leisure centres.

The plans for Teignmouth’s Broadmeadow sports hub have been backed by a public consultation, and the centre will still have single-sex changing rooms for men and women who want to use them.

But as part of a major redevelopment it will also have the ‘village-style’ individual locking cubicles with their own showers. Supporters say they are best for families and people with carers.

Opponents say they leave women and girls vulnerable.

Gillian Blick spoke during public question time at the start of a meeting of the Teignbridge executive committee. She had emailed councillors a copy of a newspaper report on a ‘Peeping Tom’ incident at a village-style changing room.

She told the meeting: “The risks you are taking amount to a pervert’s charter.

“Women and girls will be subjected to voyeurism and indecent exposure.”

Then, she asked: “Are you malign or merely incompetent?”

Council leader Martin Wrigley (Lib Dem, Dawlish NE) said he was neither, and added: “There is a gross misunderstanding about village-style changing rooms. They actually provide far more privacy for men, women, children and families.

“Broadmeadow provides both individual women’s and men’s changing facilities and village-style changing facilities.”

He said the council was spending a quarter of a million pounds on work preventing violence against women and girls.

“Unfortunately this awful government is choosing to stir up concerns,” he said. “They are mistaken, as they are on many things.”