Mendip going the Community Toilet route

Mendip businesses could be asked to join in a share-your-toilet scheme as Mendip District Council tries to cut costs.

Council officials are peering into public toilet costs because a contract to look after them is now under review.

The district council says it does not have to provide toilets, saying that they are “discretionary”.

Mendip’s contract for looking after public toilets runs out in 2014.

Neighbouring Sedgemoor District Council has had a delicately named ‘Community Comfort Scheme’ for several years, in which businesses open the facilities on their premises to all. The council pays businesses that open their toilets to the public.

The amount they get varies according to their opening hours and the type of facilities – such as nappy changing areas and multiple cubicles – available.

Fees of anything from £600 to £1,500 a year are paid to participating businesses.

Elsewhere in the United Kingdom businesses are asked to open their facilities free of charge to boost trade in town centres.

Businesses involved include pubs, restaurants, cafes and community centres.

Wells City Council and Glastonbury and Shepton Mallet Town Council have been running their own toilets as Mendip has cut back on the service.

The owners of Clarks Shopping Village at Street provide the conveniences for their shoppers.

A community scheme has been proposed to save money in Frome by the town council, where conveniences owned by Mendip are already boarded up.

A spokesperson for Mendip District Council said: “We are looking at the future provision of public toilets; our current contract will come to an end in 2014.

“The provision of public toilets is a discretionary service and we are looking at the alternative options, such as community toilet schemes, for providing toilets.”

Good Loo News from Herne Bay

FROM THE HERNE BAY TIMES

New toilets for ‘jewel in Bay’s crown’

OFFICIALS spent more than a penny building the new public toilets in Herne Bay’s Memorial Park.

The £70,000 makeover by the city council means the town also has a new-look football pavilion with changing rooms and showers.

The block was opened by city councillor Rosemary Doyle, the executive member for parks and open spaces, on Tuesday last week.

It contains four new toilets, including a disabled facility, and a dedicated area for baby-changing.

The refurbishment had been requested by residents during a consultation on how the park could be improved.

Mrs Doyle said: “The Memorial Park is one of the jewels in Herne Bay’s crown.

“This improvement give the public what it deserves.”

Good Loo News in Bishop Auckland

FROM THE NORTHERN ECHO

Work to start on revamp of toilets

A LONG-AWAITED revamp of a busy block of public toilets is to go-ahead.

Concerns have been raised for many years about the state of the public conveniences at the bus station in Bishop Auckland for a number of years.

At Bishop Auckland Town Council on Tuesday, Jimmy Bennett, street scene manager (south) at Durham County Council told members about plans to freshen up the site with a small refurbishment.

The work will consist of new tiling, hand dryers, soap dispensers, and the replacement of any broken toilets or sinks.

Mr Bennett said the repairs would maintain the toilets for the next few years, by which time it is hoped work will have begun on the proposed expansion of the Newgate Shopping Centre.

“I think the main complaint people have is the smell,” said Mr Bennett. “They are cleaned regularly but the problem does not go away. I think we need to replace the floor to get rid of it.

“We can’t afford to wait for two years in the hope the expansion of the Newgate (Shopping) Centre goes ahead. All I am trying to do improve the toilets. The work we are doing is hopefully a stop gap.”

Mr Bennett said if the town council was able to contribute financially then more work could be done but councillors agreed they were not in a position to do so.

Mayor councillor John Lethbridge said: “This (the revamp) is good news. We have been talking about these toilets for years. If we are here to see the improvement of Bishop Auckland then we have to see the existence of functioning public toilets.”

Councillor Charlie Kay said: “It is the small things that mean the most to people and I think it is money well spent. If the work can be done before the Summer then I think we should go-ahead.”

Councillor June Lee added: “There have been many problems with vandalism and needles but the toilets are really needed.”

Work is expected to be completed by July. Temporary portable toilets will be placed nearby while the block is closed.

CALL TO RE-OPEN SPITALFIELDS LOO

FROM LONDON 24

Ex-Olympics ambassador wants old Victorian loo reopened for 2012 Games

A campaign has been launched to buy back an old Victorian public loo sold off more than a decade ago in London’s East End and have it reopened in time for the 2012 Olympics.

Former councillor Wais Islam (pictured), who was Tower Hamlets’ council’s first Olympics ambassador, has begun a petition with families and businesses in Spitalfields fed up with late-night drinkers using their street corners as toilets.

He fears the problem will get worse when Brick Lane—official 2012 Olympics ‘curry capital’—attracts tourists from all over the world in the summer who will have nowhere to spend a penny.

“There are only two temporary toilets by the old Truman brewery which are nearly always locked,” he told The Docklands & East London Advertiser today. “The clubs and restaurants only let customers use their loos, not the public.

“We want the council to buy back the old public toilet in Commercial Street which should never have been sold off!”

The classic structure with its wrought iron railings and steps leading to urinals beneath the pavement opposite Old Spitalfields indoor market was sold off by the council and converted into a bar.

CHESTER CLOSES 8 TOILETS

FROM THE CHESTER CHRONICLE

ALL eight of Chester’s automatic toilets are being removed because it costs £12.58 every time somebody uses them.

The former Chester City Council invested heavily in the superloos so people could pay a visit after dark when the public toilets are closed.

But the toilets, sometimes compared to Doctor Who’s Tardis, cost customers 30p a go and most are used fewer than three times a day.

Figures from Cheshire West and Chester Council show the contract offers ‘poor value’ because it costs £240,000 a year, yet the eight toilets are only used by 14,000 people a year.

This compares with 90,000 people who used the revamped Frodsham Street toilets, which are free of charge, in the first four months of operation.

Members of the disabled community are upset at not being consulted over the move because wheelchair users can access the larger superloos in Princess Street and Foregate Street 24 hours a day.

However, the Frodsham Street toilets, which include an expensive ‘changing places’ toilet for people with profound disabilities and their carers, are also available around the clock.

Keith Roper, general manager of the DIAL House disability support service, said: “I have just attended a meeting where people were saying changes are being driven by the need to save money rather than people’s needs and this is potentially another example. Importantly, people should be consulted on any changes that are likely to have an impact on their lives.

“Some people plan their whole day by the availability of the loo.”

Reducing 24-hour provision could also impact the council’s desire to clamp down on disgusting revellers who urinate in the streets.

But the council points out that a community toilet scheme means several businesses, including Tesco in Frodsham Street, allow members of the public to use their facilities.

It is costing CWaC £287,000 to terminate the contract on the toilets which will start disappearing between 2014-2016.

Council spokeswoman Laura Johnson said: “We have decided to terminate the contract because the usage is not enough to warrant spending that amount of taxpayers’ money.”

She pointed out that with the exception of Foregate Street and Princess Street the automatic loos are used fewer than three times a day on average. Foregate Street is used three times a day and Princess Street eight times a day.

Millom Toilets Sold Off

FROM THE NORTH WEST EVENING MAIL

A ROW over a public toilet block has escalated after a campaign group accused a council of failing to follow its own rules.

Members of South Copeland Disability Group were left fuming after public toilets in Lancashire Road, Millom, were put up for sale by Copeland Borough Council.

The toilets were closed last April after Millom Town Council returned the lease to Copeland as it could no longer afford to run the toilets.

But the group claimed the council failed to carry out an equality impact assessment – a basic assessment which aims to find out how closing the building would affect residents.

The equality impact assessment is described on Copeland’s website as “a way of assessing the likely impact of a strategy, service, policy or project on groups of people in its community.”

The assessment is standard practice for changes to council services.

Gary Jackson, chairman of South Copeland Disability Group, said the group will contact the local government ombudsman regarding the council’s alleged behaviour.

He said: “This shows us people in Copeland Borough Council are not as aware of access issues as we would like them to be.

“At the very least they have not followed good practice or their own processes.”

Last week it was announced the Lancashire Road toilet block had been sold to a taxi firm and its future was looking uncertain.

The group has asked Copeland Borough Council for details of any equality impact assessment – which would profile affected groups before public buildings close.

However, they said their question has received no reply.

Mr Jackson said: “There are serious questions to be answered in terms of their decision making process.

“We have concerns that Copeland Borough Council do have procedures to use to make sure that people are consulted.

“None of this has served the public good.

“It is a decision that has affected the disabled community and older people and that concerns us.”

Pat Graham, Copeland Borough Council’s corporate director – people and places said: “A number of years ago, following a review of public toilet provision the borough, we made a decision to ensure that towns such as Millom had one set of accessible public toilets.

“As there were two sets of toilets in Millom, this decision meant that one of the toilet blocks would ultimately close.

“For a number of years, Millom Town Council managed the Lancashire Road toilets as a facility for the town. However, they closed the toilets last year and handed the lease back to us.

“Millom Town Council now operates the Millom Park toilets, which are easily accessible from St George’s Road in the town and provide facilities for the disabled.

“We have taken the decision to sell the former public toilets in Lancashire Road in accordance with our asset disposal policy with the belief that a set of accessible toilets exists in the town.

“We are happy to meet with the South Copeland Disability Group to discuss their concerns, and will be contacting them directly to arrange this.”

Bowness

From Westmoreland Gazette

 

Bowness Bay public toilets will re-open on Tuesday March 6 after being fully refurbished.

The management of the facilities will transfer to Bowness and Windermere Community Care Trust – and will join seven other toilets transferred from South Lakeland District Council to the trust.

As part of a £277,000 refurbishment programme, Bowness Bay trust is refurbishing three other toilet blocks at Rayrigg Road, Broad Street and Braithwaite Fold – thanks to a grant from SLDC. A 20 pence charge will be made to use the toilets to help the trust cover the costs.

The trust is also seeking financial support from local businesses.

BBC Radio 4 “You and Yours” re “community” toilets

DOH!! “You and Yours” says re toilets “Sorry, this programme is not available to listen again”
Last broadcast today, 12:00 on BBC Radio 4

“Should cafes and bars let you “spend a penny” without you having to spend a penny? Or is that an unfair burden on business? Is it fair for people who fund their own residential care to be charged hundreds of pounds a month more than local authority-funded residents for exactly the same service”

Item was about Bristol – where shopkeepers are objecting and Cllr Poulteney is defending the scheme

TAMESIDE – toilet survey

Public toilets to be reviewed

Press Release Date: 23 February 2012

People are being asked for their views on whether the council should continue to provide public toilets in the borough’s town centres.

Tameside Council currently operates “stand alone” public toilets in four towns – Mossley, Denton, Droylsden and Stalybridge at a cost of £71,000 a year for cleaning and maintenance.

However it is looking at whether it is financially viable to continue providing this non-statutory service given the unprecedented savings the authority is being forced to make.

There are no changes proposed to the operation of the public toilets located in Ashton Market Hall, which are an integral part of the market and the building.

People are being encouraged to give their thoughts via the council’s wider Big Conversation, a public consultation exercise addressing how the council can continue to provide high quality services despite central funding cuts.

Tameside Council Executive Member for Neighbourhoods Cllr Kevin Welsh said: “Society has changed since public toilets were first introduced – many shopping centres, retail outlets and other publicly accessible buildings now provide toilets for their customers. We balance whether the demand for this service is as pressing as the demand for other frontline services which are competing for funding from the same massively reduced budget. We would welcome people’s thoughts on this before any decision is made.”

To find out more and have your say visit www.tameside.gov.uk/tbc

FIFE

FROM  “FIFE TODAY”

 
Published on Sunday 26 February 2012 09:00

 

The lack of public toilet facilities in the area of the West Sands beach in St Andrews has been strongly criticised.

 

A Cupar resident, who travels to the award-winning beach several times a week, has claimed that people visiting the area – it also houses the British Golf Museum – have been left “distressed” following the closure of the toilets at the Bruce Embankment car park

He told the Citizen: ”This toilet has been closed for many weeks and a sign states that it’s the result of storm damage.

‘‘The sign instructs people to go to the nearest public toilets, which are in Church Square in the town centre.”

The man said that he had personally witnessed distressed and angry people of all ages at the West Sands who required to use the toilet.

He added: ”As a result of there being none open, these people are resorting to going behind walls and bushes, which is not only illegal, but a health hazard.

SEASONAL

‘‘For this to be happening in St Andrews is nothing short of a disgrace and councillors should be ashamed that they can’t even meet the most basic of needs for locals and residents alike.”

The man also highlighted the closure of the public toilets at St Andrews harbour, close to the East Sands beach.

Responding, Harry Byers, service manager with Fife Council’s transportation and environmental services, said that the roof of the Bruce Embankment toilets was damaged by a storm in December.

However, repair work had started and was expected to take up to three weeks to complete.

He also pointed out that the harbour toilets were seasonal as they were unstaffed and had no lighting, but would reopen on March 1.

Mr Byers added: ”We currently have four businesses in St Andrews participating in the Comfort Break Scheme.

‘‘This allows the public to use their toilet facilities free of charge and they can be found at the Cosmos Community Centre, Drouthy Neebors, the Byre Theatre and Zest Café.

“We hope to attract more local businesses to join the scheme. People should be aware that many council toilet facilities are open to the public and these are at the library, museum, local office and the bus station.

“The Scottish Government has just given us approval for Comfort Break Scheme signage to be erected directing people to businesses participating in the scheme.”

There are currently 28 businesses participating in the Comfort Break Scheme across the whole of Fife.