Community toilet plan 'would save thousands'
EXETER is to consider introducing a community toilet scheme across the city.
Rather than providing public toilets, the city council would pay businesses to allow people to use their toilets.
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SUCCESS: Exeter City Council leader Cllr Pete Edwards after last year's decision to keep public toilets open
A discreet sign would be put in the windows of the businesses taking part.
According to Exwick city councillor Laura Newton it could save the council thousands of pounds each year.
She has put forward a motion that the proposal should be looked at to see how much it could save and what additional benefits could arise from it.
Cllr Newton said: "As a city we spend approximately £250,000 a year on providing toilets through the current system invented many years ago.
"Other councils around the country have already made great savings.
"We have spoken to a councillor from Richmond-upon-Thames who has confirmed that the scheme is a success there, judged by more and more businesses joining it."
She said there were 90 businesses in the scheme, each receiving £600 for taking part at a total cost of £54,000.
Cllr Newton said: "If Exeter had 50 businesses in the scheme at the same rate it would cost £30,000.
"We are looking forward to the results of this investigation and will encourage a debate with the public about what people would prefer."
Providing public toilets is a discretionary service and is not something the city council has to do.
A community toilet scheme was first mooted several years ago but an initial assessment by officers found that the benefits did not outweigh the disadvantages, according to Robert Norley, the city council's head of environmental health services.
Mr Norley said: "We will obviously do a more detailed study now and look not just at Richmond-upon-Thames but at other authorities operating such a scheme to see how successful it is.
"At the moment in Exeter we have businesses, such as Debenhams and Marks & Spencer, who already provide toilets for their customers, so we could end up paying for something we have already.
"Other considerations are that standards differ from premises to premises as well as concerns about the distribution of toilets.
"You will have a lot in the city centre but perhaps not in outlying shopping districts and around cemeteries, for example."
Mr Norley said that there is also the cultural aspect to be considered.
He added: "We don't have a culture in this country of people going into pubs and restaurants and using loos unless they are customers."
Councillor Yolonda Henson, leader of the city's Tory group, said: "It is worth looking at but if I was a businesswoman I would not want it in my restaurant.
"I think it would keep business away – you would not want people wandering through all the time to go to the loo."
Last year the Echo ran a successful campaign to keep public toilets in the city open.
It came after the council proposed closing 10, in a bid to save £60,000.
5 Comments
by James, Countess Wear
Saturday, January 22 2011, 2:22PM
“Perhaps the introduction of vespasians on our streets, as is the case on the continent, may be a worthwhile solution to the never ending question of shutting public latrines in Exeter and what to do about it.
Considering that the Emperor Vespasian, who as general in the Second Legion apparently founded Exeter ( ad 55?), introduced these useful devices in Rome and charged for their use.
The concept could then become the city flagship innovation and a deserved relief for us the community local tax payers.”
by Bob Turner, Exeter
Saturday, January 22 2011, 12:04PM
“From Insanity to Insanitary, or is it both?
The continuing rubbish collection problems and now THIS proposal to close public CONVENIENCES.
I'm sure that many local businesses will welcome the transfer of drugs paraphernalia to their premises. ECC have already admitted that this is a problem in public toilets. Who will be responsible for the removal of sharps from private premises? Other Echo articles have made it clear that some users make a point of concealing discarded syringes so as to catch innocent and unwary toilet users/staff. Cllr Newton comments that a Richmond-upon-Thames councillor states that it has been a success there. What do the residents there think? Did anyone ask them?
Mr Norley said that, "there is also the cultural aspect to be considered". Having personally experienced 'shared' business toilet facilities in France (appalling) and many other countries (even worse than France), this is NOT a healthy way to save money.
I believe that implementation in Exeter of this scheme would be a retrograde step for ALL concerned and should not even be considered.”
by CRAZYHORSE, BARNSTAPLE
Friday, January 21 2011, 9:03PM
“This country has an attitude problem , FULL STOP”
by Marten Gallagher, Weare Giffard
Friday, January 21 2011, 6:37PM
“This reminds me of our several trips to Canada. There, it is an assumption that if you are in a shop and need to use the toilet they will let you use the shop's own toilet. We would just ask where the 'washroom' was and it was never, ever a problem. Several occasions we didn't even show any signs of wanting to even look at the contents of the shop - just went in and asked to use the 'washroom' - the answer was always yes...almost to the point of "why are you asking? Of course you can". I have never understood this country and shop attitude to the need to use a toilet.”
by Adrian Fullam, Exeter
Friday, January 21 2011, 6:03PM
“People can't often see the difference between parties, but this picture of Pete Edwards celebrating says a lot. Labour's only method of providing services is if they are provided by the Council on terms decided by the authorities. When he "saved" the toilets, he didn't mention the swathe of cuts he would have to introduce to make up the shortfall. Nor did he mention charging for some public toilets.
My colleague Laura Newton and the Lib Dems resist the easy, cynical politics of opposing selected cuts and fighting them in isolation. Instead, we propose creative ways the finances can be managed in a way that maintains (or improves) service levels and cuts costs. this way we can better protect the most valuable services under threat.
Exeter is a great metaphor for the national situation. Like their national colleagues last year, they express concerns and object to most cuts, but never propose their own. When the surprise elections in September put them in power, they propose cuts even more drastic than the Lib Dems, in effect confirming all we've been saying about the Council's financial stability and contradicting their own approach of criticising cuts per se.
Nationally, Labour oppose everything, people are living in a fantasy if they think Labour, if they were in government would risk the economic consequences which would arise in their term of office by practising what they implicitly preach now without the burden.
I hope people recognise the integrity of the local Lib Dems in opposition when we avoid simplistic opposition to all cuts.”