March 7th, 2008
Government toilet plans: All cisterns go
Local councils will today be encouraged to do more to halt the decline of the great British public loo and to adopt pioneering new approaches to boost access to public toilets across the country. 150 years ago public lavatories were seen by councils as key to good public health - as well as a chance to promote leading edge architecture. They became a symbol of civic pride as well as the advances of sanitation. But in recent years there has been a significant fall in both the level of provision and public satisfaction. Today’s Strategic Guide is our response to that. It is the first of its kind - and it is aimed at encouraging local councils to look at a range of things they can now do to provide better access and better quality toilets across the country.
We think that the state of our public toilets should indeed be a mark of civic and community pride. The Guide will say that being able to use clean and accessible public loos are important to everyone - but it is critically important to particular groups such as disabled or older people and families with young children. And the whole community suffers - not least because poor quality provision in our towns and city centres contributes to anti-social behaviour through ’street fouling’ and poor hygiene standards.
6 March 2008
© Communities and Local Government
March 14th, 2008 at 5:24 am
Government toilet plans: All cisterns go
Dear Sir,
On 6 March 2008, the Communities and Local Government press release stated:
“Local councils will today be encouraged to do more to halt the decline of the great British public loo and to adopt pioneering new approaches to boost access to public toilets across the country. 150 years ago public lavatories were seen by councils as key to good public health - as well as a chance to promote leading edge architecture. They became a symbol of civic pride as well as the advances of sanitation. But in recent years there has been a significant fall in both the levels of provision and public satisfaction. Today’s Strategic Guide is our response to that. It is the first of its kind - and it is aimed at encouraging local councils to look at a range of things they can now do to provide better access and better quality toilets across the country.
We think that the state of our public toilets should indeed be a mark of civic and community pride. The Guide will say that being able to use clean and accessible public loos are important to everyone - but it is critically important to particular groups such as disabled or older people and families with young children. And the whole community suffers - not least because poor quality provision in our towns and city centres contributes to anti-social behavior through ’street fouling’ and poor hygiene standards.”
On March 7 Th 08, Waverley Borough Council announced the sale of No 65a West Street. A unique small chalet bungalow, with a gents and ladies public convenience set in each corner of the frontage. The public toilets closed since 2004 and the main building is now vacant. Described as a unique property, it is to be sent to auction and suggested as suitable for the BBC programme Homes under The Hammer.
Certainly more than a double hammer blow to the community the loss of social housing, public utilities, and potential opportunity to have achieved much, much more for the community as a Waverley property for the future of the Farnham Town residents. The Council could have achieved better value for money for ratepayers. On the same Government web pages are “Impact Assesements guidelines”, difficult to carry out once the property has been sold?
Reported on the same page, issues that effects the day to day life of people with disabilities who live or visit Waverley have been raised at a meeting of the Waverley Disability Forum. The portfolio holder for equality said “the group had high lighted a number barriers that limit accessibility to services and initially is planning to look at problems caused by a shortage of disabled friendly transport and provision of public toilets in the boroughs four main areas”
Communities and Local Government would like all to be part of a safe, prosperous and healthy community. Working hard to create thriving, sustainable, vibrant communities that improve everyone’s quality of life. To achieve this we are:building more and better homes - reducing homelessness, improving local public services, regenerating areas to create more jobs and working to produce a sustainable environment Quite.