South Lakeland parishes look into saving 'vital' public toilets (From The Westmorland Gazette)
When news happens, text KENEWS and your photos and videos to 80360. Or contact us by email or phone.
South Lakeland parishes look into saving 'vital' public toilets
8:10pm Wednesday 29th September 2010 in Ballots
RESIDENTS in communities across South Lakeland face the prospect of being caught short if 17 public toilets are not rescued from closure.
The Westmorland Gazette last week reported on South Lakeland District Council (SLDC) cabinet’s decision to close 13 conveniences and give community groups and businesses the opportunity to run a further 17.
The council will continue to run ten toilets in key locations.
It follows a public consultation which found that 72 per cent of local people would support pay-as-you-go toilets.
Communities have been urged by the council to take charge of the facilities, but this week parish and town councils contacted by the Gazette were tight-lipped over what action they planned to take.
The final decision about the fate of public loos will be made by SLDC’s scrutiny committee in October.
Running and maintaining 40 conveniences across the district costs taxpayers £840,323, and the closure decision is expected to save the authority £265,000.
The 17 toilets listed by SLDC as ‘open to offers’ will be mothballed by March if they are not taken on. Communities have until December 31 to reply.
Grange-over-Sands’ mayor Tom Harvey believes SLDC has not addressed the problem in the right way.
“It’s disappointing to see SLDC making this decision as it seems a very short-term fix and the consultation was poorly carried out – barely 600 people replied to it,” he said.
“That said we are where we are and we shall have to discuss it at the next council meeting when we hope to have some options in place before the deadline.
“We recognise how important public conveniences are in Grange as we are a tourist hotpsot and have a large ageing population.”
Another community facing the prospect of losing toilets is Kirkby Lonsdale.
Although the toilets at Devil’s Bridge will be saved, the toilets at Jingling Lane are open to offer.
Allan Muirhead, vice chairman of Kirkby Lonsdale Town Council, said: “We will have to discuss it at the next meeting, but obviously no community wants to lose vital amenities.”
