ON Tuesday evening I sat in the public gallery to witness the Poole council debate on the proposal to reopen the Jubilee Road toilets.

I feel dismayed that such an important meeting should become nothing more than a politically-biased rout by the Conservative councillors who allowed themselves to be ruled by the whip rather than to put Ashley Road before policy.

A total of £12,000 out of a budget of £150million is a drop in the ocean to continue to keep our local toilets open.

The council approved a spend of £650,000 on Poole Lighthouse recently, so where is the logic? Profit before people.

Four of our local councillors, your ward councillors no less, voted against re-opening Jubilee Road loos.

They should be ashamed for not standing up for the 1400 signatories who signed a petition demanding their re-instatement.

In fact there was such derision to this I was astounded.

Many councillors stood up and admitted making a mistake on this closure and they were accountable in their speeches and urged the council to reinstate but to no avail. I thank them for reconsidering Ashley Road.

And I thank them for putting the residents and our customers first and for admitting a flawed policy.

I also acknowledge acceptance of this policy was misdirected and hindsight is a wonderful thing.

Sadly, some councillors were beyond this and one individual postured and sulked when the debate was not centred on the recommendation to close Jubilee Road permanently.

There is no further provision and no contingency plan.

If Poole council lose the goodwill of the current business premises then there literally will be no place to go.

Public opinion has been slapped in the face and sadly we have been flushed down the pan.

MIKE OCKENDON,
Just Michael Hairdressing, Ashley Road, Parkstone, Poole