Issue - meetings

To consider the report from the Director of Place.

The Interim Public & Green Space Service Manager presented a report which detailed the responses from the public consultation on the future of public toilets across the City, and sought Member’s endorsement of the approach to achieve the required budget savings, whilst retaining some degree of service provision.

Councillor Musgrave, having given notice under Standing Order No.44, spoke on this item, referring in particular to contacts he had had from local residents opposing the proposed closures.  He also reminded the Executive of a previous commitment (arising from the consultation on the Public Spaces Protection Order) to keep the public conveniences in Musgrave Row open.

During discussion, the following points were raised:-

·         That whilst the consultation exercise on this proposal had returned a significant number of responses (in excess of 500 responses), this was a lot less than had been the case for both the Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) and Air Quality;

·         That if the proposals to close the public conveniences were not supported, the Council would have to identify a equal level of savings elsewhere so as to maintain its overall balanced budget;

·         That many other authorities had, over a number of years, already taken similar decisions to that proposed, and that this Council had resisted this for as long as possible.  However, due to the ever increasing difficult financial position that the Council was now facing, such decisions needed to be taken now;

·         That a number of the public conveniences proposed for closure, would require a large capital investment to bring them up to appropriate standards, including those to meet accessibility requirements.

·         That the Council would welcome the opportunity to discuss the possibility of divesting the running of appropriate public conveniences with community groups or other interested parties.

RESOLVED that:-

(1)       the results of the consultation exercise be noted;

(2)       the decision to close all of the 13 public conveniences listed in the report presented to the meeting be supported with immediate effect, in addition to the two already closed. (Leaving 11 public conveniences in operation as detailed in Appendix 1 to the report);

(3)       The City Surveyor be authorised to divest the running of the toilets to other organisations, or to explore alternative uses including potential disposal, to achieve best value for the authority.  Priority consideration should be given to alternative uses which would incorporate a publically accessible toilet; and

(4)       The introduction of a Community Toilet scheme be investigated.