Overview

In late April I had the pleasure of attending Paisley Town Hall for the Loud Poet’s Poetry Slam as part of the Paisley Book Festival, not as a punter but as a performer. I was up against 10 other poets, competing for a cash prize and an opportunity to secure a place in the final, where the big money is! I didn’t win the prize in the end, but the venue won my favour. Built in 1882, the venue has stood the test of time. A recent refurbishment, costing an eye-watering £22 million, has seen this bonnie building become beautiful inside and out. A core focus of the refit appears to be accessibility. The building is accessed by a ramp on either side of the entrance stairway, the town hall boasts 4 accessible toilets, one of which is a changing places toilet, complete with hoist, height adjustable sink and shower. The stage is also accessible via a folding ramp, easily ascended in my manual chair - though I did clip the edges with my push rims once or twice. Paisley Town Hall has held host to many events from beer festivals to weddings, live music, comedy, poetry and everything else in between. The staff are all pleasant and eager to ensure that disabled visitors know their way around the venue and have any support they may require.

Transport & Parking

The venue has no dedicated parking, given the location. Abbey Close is a pedestrian walkway, which takes in Paisley Abbey and the White Cart River, however, parking can be found locally on Cotton Street, where there are accessible bays, roughly 300 metres away. Slightly further up Cotton Street, there’s a small car park with EV charging points and several accessible bays. The town hall is also serviced by several busses, with the nearest stop being Abbey Close Bus Stop, which is approximately 82 metres away. The closest train station is Paisley Gilmour Street, which is located 650 metres away.

Access

The building is accessed via ramps on either side of the entrance stairway, the stairs and ramps which both have handrails. Entrance is gained through the automatic double doors, opening to the foyer and reception desk. The doorway is 135cm at its narrowest point. The main hall is bordered on either side with a corridor, the corridor to the right has carpeted flooring, with an accessible toilet on the right with access to the main hall on the left. The corridor to the left has wooden laminate floors, with the changing places toilet to the immediate left, Lucile’s bar - which has double doors - is further down the hallway, with access to the hall on the right. There are two main lifts at the bottom of either corridor, the lift doors are 100cm wide and the inside of the lift is 150cm x 190cm. The lifts provide access to the first floor only, the gallery level has steps. I noticed a dip of a few inches when entering the hall from the left side, it’s much less severe when entering from the right. I received a bit of a shock due to the unexpected drop. There is an induction loop used for announcements made through the PA system, fire evacuation system and in both lifts. Assistance dogs are welcome but the venue requests that visitors notify the venue or box office ahead of time where possible so they can alter the seating plan to ensure visitors and their assistance dogs are comfortable.

Toilets

There are four accessible toilets in the venue, two on the ground floor and two on the first floor. There is one Changing Places toilet, accessed via the left corridor. This toilet contains a height-adjustable sink, a shower with a seat, handrails and a privacy screen. There is an adjustable bed and hoist. The hoist can hold up to 200kg, the sink height can be altered from 61cm - 91cm and the door width is 84cm. The room is spacious and could easily accommodate several carers. A first aid room is located next to this toilet. The accessible toilet in the right corridor has grab rails, a large mirror, a static sink, soap and paper towel dispensers, and a wall-mounted hand dryer. The door width is 74cm and the room can accommodate a disabled person and several carers. The remaining two accessible toilets, located on the first floor have the same features, the door width of the left toilet is 78cm and the door width of the right corridor toilet is 76cm.

Staff

The staff were exceptionally helpful, ensuring that I was made aware of relevant facilities, going so far as to provide me with a temporary pass to access the green room on the first floor. I didn’t catch the name of the lady who guided me on my first visit, but I spoke to an incredibly helpful man named Craig, who was knowledgeable about the accessibility within the venue and provided a helpful guide.

Anything else you wish to tell us?

I’ve nothing but positive things to say about Paisley Town Hall, the new decor is beautiful and welcoming. It’s clear that the intent was to create a venue in the heart of the city that went to great lengths to be accessible - allowing practically anyone to attend events hosted. Wheelchair users or those who require low-level seating, are encouraged to contact the venue ahead of time. The venue advises that the Changing Places toilet can be used by the public, however, to maintain the safety and privacy of private hire events, they ask that any member of the public wanting to use the toilet notify a member of staff. Due to the nature of private hire events, there may be occasions when they are unable to permit access. I would gladly visit the venue again in future, and with any luck, be on that stage again.

Photos