Friargate accessibility
This accessibility guide was created to assist applicants in navigating council buildings and to provide as much information as possible in one place. The goal is to increase confidence when coming to Friargate for an interview.
Who is this guide for?
Interview candidates can use these pages to help see the options for travelling to Friargate, know where to go for your interview when you arrive and to get a better understanding of the facilities available. If you have questions that are not answered in this guide please speak to the Council Recruitment team via resourcing@coventry.gov.uk [mailto:resourcing@coventry.gov.uk].
What is the purpose of this guide?
- To provide information on physical access when using the building
- To improve mental and emotional accessibility by clearly stating expectations
- To enhance applicant wellbeing
- To increase confidence to plan your visit and make decisions
Guide contents
- Getting to Friargate
- Entering and leaving Friargate
- Stairs and lifts
- Toilets
- Wellbeing and office environment
Getting to Friargate
Friargate opening hours
The offices are open from 7am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday.
Getting to Friargate
On foot
One Friargate is located approximately 10 minutes’ walk from Bull Yard in Coventry city centre, or 5 minutes at a fast-walking speed.
By bike
You can use the West Midlands cycle hire scheme [https://www.wmcyclehire.co.uk/] to reach and leave Friargate by bike. There are 21 docking points located across the road on the other side of the pedestrian crossing.
By train
One Friargate is located close to Coventry train station, which has links to local stations such as Rugby, Leamington Spa and Birmingham New Street. Reaching the entrance to Friargate from the station takes approximately 2-3 minutes on foot.
Coventry Station offers step-free access to all platforms and wheelchair spaces are provided on trains.
By bus
Friargate is linked to bus services from across the city and is served by accessible low-floor buses, which stop at the Station Interchange nearby. The nearest bus stops are located at this interchange, between the Central 6 retail park and the railway station.
Find your best route with the Network West Midlands [http://journeyplanner.networkwestmidlands.com/] journey planner. [http://journeyplanner.networkwestmidlands.com/] Use postcode CV1 2GT for Friargate.
By car or motorbike
The nearest council car park is Coventry Railway Station [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/directory-record/57445/railway-station-car-park] (access from Eaton Road). This car park does not accept cash and is open 24 hours a day. There is no charge for Blue Badge holders and there are 35 disabled parking spaces on Levels 1, 2, 3 and 4. Blue Badge Holders use the buzzer on exit to give details of their blue badge.
One Friargate also has dedicated parking spaces available for staff who as part of a blue badge or reasonable adjustment have access to park in the lower basement car park. The facilities team at Friargate can usually accommodate visiting blue badge holders, please contact facilitiesmanagement@coventry.gov.uk [mailto:facilitiesmanagement@coventry.gov.uk] for more information.
Motorcycle parking [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/directory-record/49436/warwick-road-motorcycle-parking] is available 5 minutes’ walk away on Warwick Row.
Park and Ride
A Park and Ride service operates from the Kenilworth Road car park at War Memorial Park. Parking costs £1 in addition to the fare for travel on the bus. You must request a discount parking ticket on board.
There are three payment stations situated in the Kenilworth Road car park for payment before exit. The payment stations are cashless payments only. Contactless payment is accepted. To pay for your parking, scan the original ticket followed by the discount ticket.
Park and Ride is also available at Coventry Arena Station [https://www.westmidlandsrailway.co.uk/stations/coventry-arena]. Rail passengers can use Arena car parks A & B. Rail parking costs £2.50 per day. If you are paying on the day you need to pay on foot at a pay machine and enter the discount code - 6459.
Entering and leaving Friargate
Entrance
The main entrance to Friargate is step free.
There are two revolving doors in the centre that need to be pushed with a handle once you have entered a revolving section.
To the right, there is also a door that can be opened by pressing a large button with an ‘accessible’ symbol on it. If you need assistance entering the building please press the intercom button.
Reception
As you enter the building, there is a waiting area with comfortable sofa seating and café style tables to your right.
Straight ahead and on the right as you come in, you will find the reception desk. At least one person from the meet and greet team will be behind the desk between the hours of 8.30am and 4.30pm, Monday to Friday. A security guard will be based on the ground floor reception when the Customer Services Team finishes at 4.30pm until 8.30am the following morning.
Please report to reception and ask for the interviewing manager specified in your invite letter. The manager will meet you at reception and show you to the interview room. Please contact resourcing@coventry.gov.uk [mailto:resourcing@coventry.gov.uk] before your interview date if you require any assistance such as interview materials in braille or audio format.
There is an accessible toilet available for visitors on the ground floor. This is located off the lift lobby just beyond the reception desk to your right.
Coventry City Council works on floor 1 and floors 6 to 11. We share the building with the Financial Ombudsman Service, Homes England, Kagool, and Coffee #1.
Emergency exits and fire safety
In case of fire or other emergency, evacuate the building via the stairs or the emergency evacuation lift. There is an evacuation chair located on the stairway landing on each floor for those who require it.
The fire assembly point for One Friargate is Greyfriars Green.
One Friargate operates a phased evacuation system whereby you only evacuate if the fire alarms activate on the floor you are working on.
Weekly fire alarm tests are carried out every Wednesday at 9:30am. Alarms will sound for a short 10 seconds. There is no need to evacuate during this test unless alarms continue beyond this timeframe.
Friargate stairs and lifts
Stairs
You can reach the first floor via the stairs on the right of the reception desk. This involves four sets of stairs with handrails on both sides (approx. 1 metre/40 inches across).
The first set has 10 steps and the final three have 11 steps each. In between each set is a round corner, with approximately 1 metre/40 inches of space.
Alternatively, you can go past the reception desk and enter the door straight ahead of you, where all floors can be reached via the stairwell.
Within the stairwell, there are four sets of stairs between the ground floor and the first floor. This involves one set of seven steps and then three sets of 12 steps.
Reaching all other floors involves two sets of 12 steps between each floor. There are handrails on both sides, and approximately 1 metre/40 inches of space between. Corners have approximately 1.5 metres/58 inches of space.
Each landing contains a refuge call button and an evacuation chair.
Lifts
Beyond the reception desk, you will find keypads, which contain numbers 1 to 9 and 0 in a telephone layout. Select the floor number you need. The screen at the top will display which lift you should use (lettered from A to F).
There is also an option to have the lift number read out to you. Underneath each keypad there is a rectangular button containing an ‘accessible’ symbol and braille. Press this, and the voice will instruct you to ‘Please enter destination floor.’ Select your floor, and a voice will read out which lift you should use and its location, for example ‘Floor 10. Proceed to lift A on the left.’
Turning right will bring you to six lifts in the lift lobby, lettered from A to F.
This includes one lift that can be used in an emergency evacuation.
Each lift entrance is approximately 1.1 metres/44 inches across. You don’t need to press anything else once inside the lift. A voice will inform you ‘doors closing’, and the lift will begin moving.
The voice will inform you again once you have reached your floor, for example, ‘10th floor. Doors opening.’ Note: the lifts move relatively fast.
Friargate toilets
Women's toilets
Women’s toilets are located on each floor. Each area is formed as a row of toilet cubicles, with a communal hand washing area.
- Toilet (seat 17" off the ground)
- Sink (32" off the ground) with soap
- Hook for bag/coat
- Toilet paper and brush
- Paper towels and bin
- Sanitary bins
Men's toilets
Men’s toilets can be found on each floor. Each area is formed as a row of toilet cubicles and urinals, with a communal hand washing area.
- Toilet (seat 17" off the ground)
- Sink (32" off the ground) with soap
- Hook for bag/coat
- Toilet paper and brush
- Paper towels and bin
- No sanitary bins
All gender toilets
Toilets for all genders are located on floor 1 and floor 11. These are formed as a row of 10 self-contained cubicles. Each lockable cubicle has a door from floor to ceiling, and contains:
- Toilet (seat 17" off the ground)
- Sink (32" off the ground) with soap
- Hook for bag/coat
- Sanitary bin
- Toilet paper and brush
- Paper towels and bin
Accessible toilets
Large self-contained toilets are located next to the lifts on each floor. They can be accessed by pressing a large button with an ‘accessible’ symbol on. The large, power-assisted door will then swing open towards you.
Accessible toilets contain:
- Toilet (19" off the ground) with backrest
- Horizontal handle on the right, vertical handle on the left
- Toilet paper and brush
- Sanitary bin
- Small sink (28" off the ground) with soap
- Handles either side of the sink
- Paper towels and bin
- Red emergency cord (this should be left dangling freely)
Friargate office environment and wellbeing
Lighting and temperature
Our open office spaces have a pre-set temperature and lighting level.
Meeting rooms contain the ability to set temperature and regulate lighting via wall-mounted controls.
Meeting rooms
Friargate has a variety of meeting spaces to suit a range of needs.
Floor 1 contains conference rooms of varying sizes, plus a training room with 20 computers.
Multifaith room
The multifaith room is located on the first floor, between the two entrances to the creative studio. No access card is needed to enter. This room contains:
- Prayer mats
- Instructions as to the direction of Qibla
- Adjustable lighting
- Adjustable temperature
- A partition
- A blanked-out door for privacy
- The ability to set the room as ‘vacant’ or ‘engaged’
- No religious texts (you are welcome to bring your own)
Wellbeing Room
The wellbeing room is located on the first floor, between the two entrances to the creative studio. No access card is needed to enter. This room contains:
- Partition for privacy
- Couch and armchair
- Blankets
- First aid kit
- Fridge
- Adjustable lighting and temperature
- Health check machine
- The ability to set the room as ‘vacant’ or ‘engaged’
- Breastfeeding chair and lockable fridge for storing breast milk
First aid and fire marshals
Friargate has a number of first aiders and fire marshals on each floor Coventry City Council occupies. First aid boxes can be found on every floor, on top of the linear drawers.
Water dispensers
There are water coolers on every floor and chilled water taps in each kitchen.