Overview

I went with family relatives who were visiting the area for a days shopping trip we went to the Rivergate Shopping Centre because it has a selection of different shops. The selection is not as vibrant as it used to be but things may change in the future. Overall I would say we had a good day. It was good to go for a change as my family members and relatives are people who live in the north of England so I don't see them very often so it was nice to do something together.

Transport & Parking

We drove Sarah by car there is a large but very busy car park at the front of the shopping centre which is easily accessible from most of the shops. You can also travel there by train as Irvine train station is a short walk away. There is also a MyBus Service available which will take you to the shopping centre as a disabled person if you are a member of the scheme. It is demand responsive transport but has to be booked in advance. It is run by Strathclyde Passenger Transport if you are interested in joining the scheme you can find out more about it on their website.

Access

There are two ways that you can access the shopping centre if you are wheelchair user or have a mobility impairment. You can either enter the shopping centre via the side entrance and walk up the pedestrian ramp or you can enter the shopping centre via the front entrance and go in the lift. The lift itself is quite small and can be quite cramped especially if the shopping centre is busy. People don't always let you in the space to get in first if you're in a wheelchair. The pedestrian ramp is more spacious and open if you are claustrophobic. There is also an indoor ramp built into the layout of the shopping precinct to allow wheelchairs and prams and scooters to move easily through the concourse of the shopping centre.

Toilets

There is only one accessible toilet which is on the ground floor beside the left before you go up into the main shopping centre. It is quite small and can be quite cramped for a disabled person and the carer. Sadly on this occasion I didn't use the toilet so don't manage to get any pictures of it. Personally I think that for a big shopping centre containing around 60 shops there is need for more accessible toilets and if possible a Changing Places toilet particularly as the shopping centre access the main way to get from one side of the town to the other if you are a pedestrian. There are also not many other accessible alternative toilets within the town itself once you move through the shopping centre and out into the main town.

Staff

The stuff in the majority of the shops are all very nice and can be more helpful to anybody who is disabled which is very reassuring received your visiting for the first time.

Anything else you wish to tell us?

Most of the shops had hannd sanitiser available at the entrance. In some shops and stuff are still wearing masks which helped me as it was one of my first main trip so since Covid so I was still quite anxious about being in a space with lots of people. One thing I would say is that there needs to be improved signage as some of the signs for different areas of the shopping centre can be difficult to see as they are so high up on the ceiling.

Photos