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?