Overview

St David's is a sprawling shopping centre in the heart of Cardiff, with more entrances than I could count – it turns out there are eight! I've no shame in admitting that I got a little mixed up trying to leave as I took an alternative lift at the north end to beat the rush and lost my bearings. Accessible to most, it also boasts no shortage of accessible toilets, family toilets, and a Changing Places toilet. However, there is some confusing signage when it comes to the Changing Places toilet. Despite these issues, which I'll explain in more detail in my review, it's an impressive location with plenty of places to eat and shop, as well as pleasant and helpful staff.

Transport & Parking

I arrived on foot, or rather, on wheels, but there is a multistorey car park attached to the building, which has accessible parking spaces on every level except level 8. Parking charges apply, even with a Blue Badge. I wasn't able to confirm how many accessible parking spaces there are. Given the size of the centre, it's hard to suggest the best route to take, but there are several bus stops on nearby Churchill Way, which isn't far from the Bridge Street entrance, around 110 metres away. Cardiff Central is the closest railway station, but it’s a fair trek as it's over 1,100 metres away from the Bridge Street entrance. The score here reflects the proximity of the bus stops and railway station. I can't comment on the status of the car park, as I didn't visit the multistorey during my visit.

Access

As mentioned, there are eight entrances to the building. The entrances I encountered had touchpads and powered doors, although the Hayes entrance door was unresponsive, leading to a helpful passing stranger holding the door for me. I initially entered via the Bridge Street entrance and found the lifts to the right, near the toilets on the east side of the building. There are three lifts here, but only two were in operation. Despite being large lifts, there was a queue – this might just be due to the Christmas rush, as I visited in early December. The lifts that are operational are spacious, able to accommodate two powerchair users and several additional people, with braille buttons on the inside and a handrail around the perimeter. However, they lack an induction loop. I used a smaller lift on the north side, which could accommodate a powerchair user and likely two additional people, but this also lacked an induction loop. That’s pretty much it for alternative formats, which is disappointing in a building this vast. In doing further research during the writing of this review, I’ve seen that St David’s website highlights the use of SignLive, a Video Relay Service, for use by BSL speakers. This demonstrates they are looking to enhance accessibility at the centre. The service can be accessed by scanning the SignLive QR codes found around the centre.

Toilets

There is no shortage of accessible toilets at this location on both the ground and first floors. Some have a left-side transfer space, while others have a right-side transfer space, although this isn't signposted on the door. The toilet pans in the accessible toilets are on the back wall and feature grab rails on either side. The sinks are small, have a lever-style tap, and feature both right- and left-side grab rails. The two accessible toilets I visited had large diaper bins in the transfer space, which is always frustrating to see, but the red cords hung freely to the floor. These toilets don't require a RADAR key. The Changing Places toilet is on the ground floor and requires a RADAR key to access. I encountered some confusion when I visited the toilets on the first floor. At the far end in the corner, there is a door with a Changing Places toilet plaque and a RADAR lock. I waited for 10 minutes, as it appeared to be locked, before a member of staff came along, knocked on the door, and then opened it. Upon entering, it seemed this room was designed to serve as a Changing Places toilet, but it lacks a bed, hoist, and just about everything you'd expect in such a facility. They should either remove the signage or consider having the honour of two Changing Places toilets in one location. The Changing Places toilet on the ground floor, thankfully, has a ceiling track hoist and an adjustable changing bed. There's space for a left-side transfer to the toilet, but a diaper bin takes up part of the space. The toilet has grab rails on either side and a shower curtain. To the left when seated, there's a small sink with grab rails on each side, a lever-style tap, and a red cord that hangs freely to the floor. I didn't note a colostomy shelf in this Changing Places toilet. Overall, the signage for the toilet is poor, with no indicator other than the sign on the door. Venues should celebrate having such a vital facility, which is a shame really.

Staff

The security staff at the toilets were helpful, checking that the toilet was vacant before letting me in. However, the staff at the service counter near the North lifts didn't seem entirely certain they were positioned in the North. Let me know if there’s anything else you'd like to adjust!

Photos