A local councillor has made a stand against her community by saying that the public toilets they are trying to save should be closed.
Campaigners have been fighting to keep the public toilets open for residents.
In an open letter Sarah Bevan described how in her role as a councillor, she’s only ever had to deal with problems with the toilets.
“As one of their ward councillors, residents of Peasedown St John have only ever asked me for help with our public conveniences when they have been abused rather than used.
“Furthermore, most parents I’ve talked to on this issue would rather take their children into pubs or The Coffee Hut to use a lavatory than brave the much less pleasant environment of public conveniences anywhere.
“The worst occasion when I was called to act urgently was some years ago when not only had someone put a large object down one of the pipes at these conveniences causing blocked drains near people’s homes, but a young person had been locked inside and was calling for help when the lock stuck.
“The lavatories in Peasedown take up much needed car parking spaces near our local café, pubs, shops, and most importantly, our school, near which some parents desperately need to be able to park to drop off and collect their children every day during term time.
“Public conveniences are nothing but a throw-back to the distant past when many people did not have their own lavatory at home.
“In today’s world, they are nothing but a drain (forgive the pun) on the hard-pressed tax-payer.
“Cllr Nathan Hartley’s stance against closure shows that the two us can agree to disagree on some ward issues, but the above should serve as a strong argument against keeping them open.
“Let’s admit and accept this and move on.”
Liberal Democrat councillor Nathan Hartley has spoken out publicly against his own party for the first time to express regret at the way the toilet closure plan is being carried out.
He said: “All councils have to make difficult decisions about spending plans, but I was given assurances by the Cabinet that we’d have 12 months to find an alternative. This promise was broken when I received an email with the news that the toilets will close on 1st August.”
