Find a toilet

I understand that in some heavily trafficked tourist areas, there’s no need to keep all the toilets open throughout the whole year, but why have a policy of closing practically all of them in the winter? Indeed some councils close all their toilets in the winter.

Many of these loos are in car parks in towns, where they are used by locals and visitors alike. People still need toilets in the winter.

And what’s the knock on effect of closing thse toilets? In York one landlord has had enough of people coming into his pub purely to use the toilets because the public ones are closed during the winter. He says that 55 people used the toilets without buying anything from the bar in just one day! Read his story.

Of course this masks the problem because people don’t complain to the council when they actually find somewhere to go. But why should a pub landlord have to pay for the cleaning and extra supplies of loo paper etc.

In some areas community toilet schemes are being set up where the council gives local businesses money to open their toilets to the general public. However in cases such as the one above, it does seem totally unfair that some businesses through no fault of their own, should end up doing this for nothing.

However I have to say that the people using the toilets really should have the decency to offer to pay something towards their visit or buy a drink while they’re in there!

So if you visit a town without sufficent toilet provision, COMPLAIN to the council. Their numbers and email addresses are easily found on their websites and if you don’t complain, councils will always be able to say that there is no demand for toilets anyway.

I have just come across an article in the Bournemouth Echo describing the council’s attempt to replace many (if not all) of the public toilets with ‘community toilets.’

To say that the idea hasn’t been welcomed is an understatement.

Read more about the proposal and people’s views on it.

In April this year (2009) Gwynedd County Council will close more than a fifth of the county’s 95 public loos. 12 more will have their opening hours reduced to Summer-time opening only.

Apparently this decision will save the council around £133,000!

Read the full story.

Lots of councils responsible for areas popular with tourists, have a policy of closing some of their toilets during the winter months. This is a cost cutting exercise which in in Orcombe Point near Exmouth in Devon has had a backlash when a councillor witnessed some holidaymakers urinating outside toilets which  had been closed at the end of September.

Last year Cllr Ken Harper blasted the district council’s cost-cutting policy of closing some public toilets in September. He said that East Devon District Council closed some beachfront toilets between September and April - but that over the past couple of years the good weather had lasted into October, effectively extending the holiday season.

He said that it was essential that in a holiday town, with Easter this year (2008) in March that toilets needed to be open or tourists would not come back.

He said: “You can’t offer a facility then close it in their faces - and there were two others closed.”

The District Council said that they didn’t have the resources to fund the longer opening times, but I would love to know how much it costs to keep a loo open for a month.

Let’s see:

• (Depending what time they close) Some lighting
• Loo paper
• Paper towels or hand driers
• Soap

What else?

Maybe a member of staff to lock and unlock the building as part of their normal duties, so not much extra cost there?

I’d love someone to tell me how much it really costs to keep toilets open and give me a breakdown of the expenses. Council’s always blame excessive costs for closures, but how are the ‘excessive costs’ made up.

Does anyone know?