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COMMUNITY TOILET SCHEME TO REPLACE PUBLIC LOOS

9:13am Monday 9th February 2009 in


TRADITIONAL public toilets could become a thing of the past under plans to ask Bournemouth businesses to open up their facilities to all.

Existing conveniences across the town could be closed down in a bid to save Bournemouth council tens of thousands of pounds in cleaning and maintenance costs.

The council is hoping to replace them with a “community toilet scheme”, which will direct residents to toilets in private and council buildings instead.

This would mean that some public toilet sites could be sold or rented out, while facilities that do remain open could carry a charge.

The scheme has been successfully implemented by other councils elsewhere in the country. It is suggested that payments of £600 a year could be made to businesses willing to join in the scheme.

But Liberal Democrat councillor Richard Smith called the idea “crazy and short-sighted”.

He said: “It sounds to me that this is just an excuse to do away with yet more public toilets.”

He cited the example of public toilets in Kinson that are well-used by bus drivers and said: “It’s all very well telling people they can use toilets in the shops or libraries but those buildings are not open 24/7.

“And how can we consider shutting toilets in parks, where families often spend long periods of time. Do we want people to go to toilet in the bushes?”

And Conservative Cllr Basil Ratcliffe, who chairs the environment and economy scrutiny panel that will consider the proposals, said: “I haven’t seen the papers yet but I am surprised by this suggestion.

“I think it is unreasonable to ask local businesses to do this. Our own toilets are in a disgraceful state. If you owned a business, would you want yours going the same way?”

It’s proposed that nine public toilets currently closed will remain so, saving the council £50,000. This includes facilities at Cemetery Junction, Pelhams Park, Kings Park and Meyrick Park.

Councillors on the scrutiny panel will also be asked to approve a review of every single public toilet in the borough, to see which ones could be closed.

The proposals will be discussed on Tuesday, February 17.

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Comments(50)

godzillareturns says...
9:25am Mon 9 Feb 09

"It’s proposed that nine public toilets currently closed will remain so, saving the council £50,000. This includes facilities at Cemetery Junction, Pelhams Park, Kings Park and Meyrick Park."

Where are the savings going to be spent then? it is difficult enough now to find a decent public toilet, most of them are disgusting and you have to pay. If the council are going to stop free evening parking that's more revenue coming in so why can't that be diverted into upgrading the stinking toilets around the area.

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Gastines says...
9:31am Mon 9 Feb 09

Just another way to discourage visitors from the town as does expensive parking. If the toilets are in such a disgusting state perhaps the cleaners contracts should be cancelled?

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godzillareturns says...
9:32am Mon 9 Feb 09

Gastines wrote:
Just another way to discourage visitors from the town as does expensive parking. If the toilets are in such a disgusting state perhaps the cleaners contracts should be cancelled?
not sure they have cleaners looking at them!!

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Cazzam says...
10:36am Mon 9 Feb 09

I'd be happy to pay 10p or 20p to use the loo, if it means keeping them open, why dont they do that?

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legaleagle says...
10:42am Mon 9 Feb 09

Bournemouth is going down the pan. If this stupid idea is implemented it together with high parking fees will discourage any visitors to the town.

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godzillareturns says...
10:45am Mon 9 Feb 09

Cazzam wrote:
I'd be happy to pay 10p or 20p to use the loo, if it means keeping them open, why dont they do that?
We have toilets you pay for in Poole and they are still disgusting why should we pay when you still can't be sure they are clean.

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Emulated says...
10:53am Mon 9 Feb 09

Fantastic. No public loos in the evenings when most shops are closed. Those that are open won't want the drunks coming in. More shop doorways as public loos?

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Julie G says...
10:58am Mon 9 Feb 09

Its nice to see that in this time of recession, Bmth are doing all they can to attract those holiday makers that might just stay home and explore the UK this year.

Welcome to Bournemouth! You've got nowhere to park, nowhere to pee and a Bourenmouth Square that resembles and ice-rink when its wet and blinds you when its fine (with the sun light reflecting off of the white slabs), thats after you run the gauntlet of Big Issue sellers and Cheggars (Charity beggars) We've got an empty IMAX complex cluttering up the place - we've got plenty of empty units but dont worry we'll make millions when the Air Show comes to town in August !

Where did it all go wrong?

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Xchurch-man says...
11:30am Mon 9 Feb 09

Julie G wrote:
Its nice to see that in this time of recession, Bmth are doing all they can to attract those holiday makers that might just stay home and explore the UK this year. Welcome to Bournemouth! You've got nowhere to park, nowhere to pee and a Bourenmouth Square that resembles and ice-rink when its wet and blinds you when its fine (with the sun light reflecting off of the white slabs), thats after you run the gauntlet of Big Issue sellers and Cheggars (Charity beggars) We've got an empty IMAX complex cluttering up the place - we've got plenty of empty units but dont worry we'll make millions when the Air Show comes to town in August ! Where did it all go wrong?
Overpaid unelected council "commissars" are the problem.
Electing new councillors wont change anything.
The overpaid unelected grandees in the town hall are the ones who make the decisions, councillors just rubber stamp what they are "advised" is the correct choice.
I don't believe even the elected councillors have the power to sack or replace these people.
It is time they were made accountable to the electorate and WE were allowed to sack them at election time.

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Linguist says...
11:31am Mon 9 Feb 09

It went wrong when people voted for a political party instead of voting in a whole load of independents.

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Zzzz says...
11:34am Mon 9 Feb 09

I heard the Local Government Ombudsman was going to investigate Bournemouth Council but… he's got nothing to go on!

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djd says...
11:38am Mon 9 Feb 09

I hope the Council are going to consider the disabled and elderly before they reach any decision to close toilets.
Many toilets in shops are reached only be stairs and are inaccessible to vunerable people.

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beachhut says...
11:42am Mon 9 Feb 09

The main problem with our local authority is that they hate anyone who wants to make a difference. If you can tow the line, say now't unless its in glowing terms of how well it's going in other words a degree in BS you will have a glowing future the council.Why not open up the IMAX as the local toilet it is, at least then it will serve a purpose
With the Town Hall toilets at one end and the IMAX at the other the town centre should be covered, in what I cannot say, but at least they will at last be serving the community.

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beachhut says...
11:43am Mon 9 Feb 09

The main problem with our local authority is that they hate anyone who wants to make a difference. If you can tow the line, say now't unless its in glowing terms of how well it's going in other words a degree in BS you will have a glowing future the council.Why not open up the IMAX as the local toilet it is, at least then it will serve a purpose
With the Town Hall toilets at one end and the IMAX at the other the town centre should be covered, in what I cannot say, but at least they will at last be serving the community.

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djd says...
11:50am Mon 9 Feb 09

If they're keeping the public toilets closed at Cemetery Junction, why not demolish the building and use the space to extend the traffic flow lanes back from the traffic lights and alleviate some of the congestion.

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pete2808 says...
12:09pm Mon 9 Feb 09

Yet another nail in the coffin of this once-great town.It will soon be welcome to Bournemouth " AHH smell that Urine " rather than the sea air !

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Trifecta says...
12:26pm Mon 9 Feb 09

Julie G. I think you will find that the word for charity beggars is "chuggers" whilst "cheggars" played pop !

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noel1 says...
12:51pm Mon 9 Feb 09

This is a stupid idea.

It seems to me we get less and less in the way of services, but our Council tax still goes up more than inflation every year.

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In Absentia says...
12:58pm Mon 9 Feb 09

So the town will be able to add 'being known for problems with people urinating in public' to it's tourism profile?

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Binky says...
1:07pm Mon 9 Feb 09

Councillor Richard Smith says: And how can we consider shutting toilets in parks, where families often spend long periods of time. Do we want people to go to toilet in the bushes?”
Er... well yes, actually. My kids used to play in the playground at Borthwick Park, and the loos there were locked 24/7 because of problems with drug addicts using them. So yes, my kids wee-ed in the bushes when they had to.
Back to the original idea -
I'm sure local businesses will be thrilled at the idea of cleaning up their toilets after the general public has used them all day, including the needles.

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Mike Pickering says...
1:58pm Mon 9 Feb 09

Places for the public to be able to safely use the toilet are an absolute cornerstone of civility and both a public health and a human rights issue. It was established many hundreds of years ago that using the streets as a sewer/toilet was grossly unhealthy for everyone and it later it was confirmed scientifically that the bacteria that thrive in waste can cause a whole range of lethal, communicable and epidemic diseases.
It is up to us the public to demand this basic sanitation, a temporary rag-tag collection of local government officers do not have the ethical standing to be able to remove this facility from our community. The council must be more creative in trying to find ways to finance their operation and maintain basic hygiene. Advertising, sponsorship, charity, money from westminster, money from brussels..
In the US people who act antisocially, drink-drivers for instance, and made to make reparations in the form of community service which is often the clearing of litter from highways. Considering the dearth of petty criminal that our damp, dreary, angry little island produces surely it's not beyond the imagination of anyone to implement a scheme where public toilets are maintained by those who have chosen to ignore the law ?
Ironically enough, the Security words I am having to type for this comment are shi* and Pis5 - what are the chances ?!

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ray142 says...
2:36pm Mon 9 Feb 09

doesn't seem to matter in boscombe, every night i see men and women needing a toilet using shop and flat doorways or behind parked cars ( they are the shy ones). Its worse than a third world country.

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Emulated says...
2:59pm Mon 9 Feb 09

godzillareturns wrote:
"It’s proposed that nine public toilets currently closed will remain so, saving the council £50,000. This includes facilities at Cemetery Junction, Pelhams Park, Kings Park and Meyrick Park." Where are the savings going to be spent then? it is difficult enough now to find a decent public toilet, most of them are disgusting and you have to pay. If the council are going to stop free evening parking that's more revenue coming in so why can't that be diverted into upgrading the stinking toilets around the area.
Sack just one manager and we could keep the public toilets. We all know which is of a greater benefit to the residents.

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Seafrontpatroller says...
3:13pm Mon 9 Feb 09

pete2808 wrote:
Yet another nail in the coffin of this once-great town.It will soon be welcome to Bournemouth " AHH smell that Urine " rather than the sea air !
Well if you come down the Spur Road you can already smell the s**t so a whiff of wee won't seem so bad

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pipistrollers says...
3:48pm Mon 9 Feb 09

So let's see this how it is ... the Council spent millions on the surf reef and intend to spend millions more on it, they spent loads of money on the Councillors' holiday in New Zealand, they have wasted thousands of pounds on blocks of concrete at the front in Boscombe, there was talk of them wasting even more money on a giant model of a surfer to greet people entering Bournemouth all of course at us residents expense and on top of them wanting to take away the free beach parking in winter, now if this plan goes ahead we can't even go for a wee in a public toilet.

What about wheelchair users who rely on using the public disabled toilet facilities in central Bournemouth?

It is time for this Council to GO

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godzillareturns says...
4:09pm Mon 9 Feb 09

letas hope everone remembers to go and vote when the time comes in an Election. We need to get off our backsides and sort out our councils.

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Old Contemptible says...
4:27pm Mon 9 Feb 09

There was a time when politicians wanted to serve the community but now clearly it's the other way around.
As I mentioned recently in response to the proposal of evening car parking charges we Council Tax payers are harvested like a crop having demands for our money up front way ahead of inflation then having services pre-paid withdrawn!Wherever people congregate in numbers toilets have in the past been provided. This really is a health and safety issue.Many people nowadays are on diuretics,water tablets, females in particular will be more than inconvenienced.

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sussexcherry says...
4:38pm Mon 9 Feb 09

This is taking the pi5s! Having run pubs where the public think they have an automatic right to use the toilet, I can assure you that the general public are animals when it comes to toilets. This is the reason why public toilets are in a state. Go to any function, ie football match, concert etc and I guarantee the loos will be a disgrace. This is because the public think, "I dont have to clean it, so it doesn't matter what state I leave it in". I can also testify that ladies loos in pubs are left in a much worse state by the patrons than the gents, ask any cleaner and they will agree. The answer is not to close Public toilets, but to use some of the council reserve funds to ensure that as a major tourist town, Bournemouth has loos to be proud of. Brighton regularly wins awards for its loos, which whilst seeming humourous, actually means that the council is taking a pride in its city, a lesson that could be learnt. Finally, it has been proven in the pub trade by countless surveys, that the most important factor for a lady in deciding whether she likes a pub or not is the Toilets, not price, decor, quality of food etc. Bournemouth council take note, you will open a cesspit if this daft idea goes to fruition.

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John T says...
4:41pm Mon 9 Feb 09

In Absentia wrote:
So the town will be able to add 'being known for problems with people urinating in public' to it's tourism profile?
In Absentia
Where have you been?....You don't have to answer that. People have been regularly urinating in public in Bournemouth and Boscombe. Tobias Ellwood has flowcharts to get his point across.

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Chris... says...
4:53pm Mon 9 Feb 09

At present the Council have teams of two or three who travel round in little white vans as the cleaners of toilets, communal flat entrances etc. They are normally in and out within minutes.

What is needed is to have as many Public Toilets as possible. We are suppose to be a holiday town. Why cannot we employ in the same way as the Dutch do. Each toilet has a cleaner who not only maintains and cleans the toilets, but also acts as a deterrent. Not in the physical sense, but charges are made on entry before a gate is opened.

The problem arises when charges were removed from toilets. What was it, a penny, or two pennies. Not much was it. I beleive that a number of us would not mind paying a small fee on entering a toilet as long as the facilities were up to an exceptional standard.

If councils leave floating cleaners to themselves, the job does not get done. Who from their teams office goes round and checks. No one.

As someone as already pointed out, we do not want to p** in the bushes, remember Kings Park after the travellers left. The Council cannot remove the Public Toilets as they cannot take away free car parks. You will not get the people to visit us.

We would be happy with free toilets, but we all know that things will not change for the better, but to close them down is even more stupid. But then what do we expect from the Councillors.


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WIGGINSv says...
5:03pm Mon 9 Feb 09

Emulated wrote:
godzillareturns wrote: "It’s proposed that nine public toilets currently closed will remain so, saving the council £50,000. This includes facilities at Cemetery Junction, Pelhams Park, Kings Park and Meyrick Park." Where are the savings going to be spent then? it is difficult enough now to find a decent public toilet, most of them are disgusting and you have to pay. If the council are going to stop free evening parking that's more revenue coming in so why can't that be diverted into upgrading the stinking toilets around the area.
Sack just one manager and we could keep the public toilets. We all know which is of a greater benefit to the residents.
Right on the money Emulated.

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chairboy2 says...
5:13pm Mon 9 Feb 09

dont worry the biggest toilet will be in lansdown when the gypoes arrive.

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EGHH says...
5:15pm Mon 9 Feb 09

That's it!! I'm convinced the council are on Class A drugs! No one in their right mind would even think of this. I can see the shops and offices being crowded with drunks etc all wanting to use their toilets. Total madness!

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johngoodhew says...
6:07pm Mon 9 Feb 09

Maybe we can all use the toilets in Town Hall when we are just p_ssing by or even the local councilors home?

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pipistrollers says...
6:33pm Mon 9 Feb 09

johngoodhew wrote:
Maybe we can all use the toilets in Town Hall when we are just p_ssing by or even the local councilors home?
Form an orderly queue outside the local councillors' homes - no jumping the queue unless you have eaten a dodgy curry of course hahahaha

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casual_observer says...
6:33pm Mon 9 Feb 09

Anyone who has visited Europe will agree that the problem of anti-social behaviour and uncleanliness are all eradicated by the simple use of permanent on site attendants, whom you tip a small nominal amount for the use of the facility. Attendants are used in Brighton, and you dont even have to tip them. Solves the unemployment problem, and gets everyone a decent clean public lav at the same time. Not rocket science is it!

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casual_observer says...
6:33pm Mon 9 Feb 09

Anyone who has visited Europe will agree that the problem of anti-social behaviour and uncleanliness are all eradicated by the simple use of permanent on site attendants, whom you tip a small nominal amount for the use of the facility. Attendants are used in Brighton, and you dont even have to tip them. Solves the unemployment problem, and gets everyone a decent clean public lav at the same time. Not rocket science is it!

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ray142 says...
7:19pm Mon 9 Feb 09

Casual Observer - we used to have on-site cleaners and attendants in Loo's infact they used to take a pride in their loo and even have comps for the best one. Alas there was no place for them in the modern world and unlike europe we got rid of them with all the other bad ideas like nice green trams which are not held up by traffic, clean fast trains, good manners etc etc

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GB1980 says...
9:07pm Mon 9 Feb 09

Never mind being told which way to vote in the local elections, if the public toilets are shut I'll just go round the side and p155 against the wall.
I don't remember public toilets ever being clean, but giving up and closing them down isn't any kind of solution, it's just lazy.

Perhaps the solution is something similar to the automated toilets they have abroad which are disinfected after each use, although it would be cheaper to go round the side and p155 against the wall.

... And they are "charity muggers", not "charity beggars".

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BIGTONE says...
12:17am Tue 10 Feb 09

Does this mean the council are going down the pan?

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2Much...again! says...
7:44am Tue 10 Feb 09

They do this in other European countries.
Here, it won't work. Out of the pub at 12, been there since 5. Into the kebab shop, after kebab into a restaurant toilet to throw up and stagger around people sitting and talking after their meal.
I rest my case.

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John T says...
11:37am Tue 10 Feb 09

I suggest these Councillors take some 'time off in loo' before they destroy the toilets. A rest break from their crap ideas will help Bournemouth go about its business!

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pete woodley says...
12:24pm Tue 10 Feb 09

What can those with prostrate trouble do,they have the need to visit toilets frequently ,is there no thought for them.

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pipistrollers says...
3:06pm Tue 10 Feb 09

If we form an orderly queue outside our local councillors' homes to use their lav, would we have to bring our own loo roll or should we just use theirs?

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andytrickett says...
3:52pm Tue 10 Feb 09

"Councillors on the scrutiny panel will also be asked to approve a review of every single public toilet in the borough, to see which ones could be closed. "

How much will the review cost? save the money, keep them open.

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Tictock says...
10:15pm Tue 10 Feb 09

Bournemout is one big toilet anyway so this just seems to rubber stamp the notion. Who is running the asylum?

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Chris... says...
11:10am Wed 11 Feb 09

This appears to be another way of the Council saving money in loo (leiu) of the money they flushed down the pan over the last two years. They now realise that most of what they have done is a complete waste of time, and they now need to wipe their backsides and claw back some of the money they have lost through their c**p decisions and projects.

The Public Toilets are a necessity for all people. Work them as they do in London or Europe and you will save money in the long run.


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grimreaper says...
4:46pm Wed 11 Feb 09

The whole of Bournemouth is a TOILET already so why maintain private facilities when the majority dont care ???

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Bondi Steve says...
6:44pm Wed 11 Feb 09

This would be a disaster if implemented. Bournemmouth is already filthy dirty as it is. People coming out of the clubs and pubs already urinate wherever they want. And where the heck are disabled people supposed to go? A return to raw untreated sewage in the streets is a health risk with major implications.

Bournemouth Council is the laughing stock of the country. This just makes things even worse.

Why not have thesame 'pay as you go' system they have on the continent? At least that pays something towards the upkeep of public toilets.

Our councillors are ill-advised and frankly barking mad if they go ahead with this scheme. Lets get them out next election before they do even more damage.

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pipistrollers says...
8:17pm Wed 11 Feb 09

Bondi Steve I agree with you. You say our councillors barking mad if they go ahead with this scheme - that's the thing I disagree with you about. Our councillors are barking mad full stop.

Agree totally with you about getting them out next election before they do even more damage. Problem is if they keep going the way they are, there will be nothing left of Bournemouth by the time they are voted out.

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