Decision details

Public Toilet Review

Decision Maker: Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Cabinet

Decision status: Recommendations approved

Is Key decision?: Yes

Is subject to call in?: No

Purpose:

A review of toilet provision has been requested by cabinet via star chamber.

Decisions:

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Barry)

 

The Corporate Director (Community Services) submitted a report to provide options for toilet provision in 2009/10. In order to provide options that would have a budgetary impact in 2009/10 the report listed 14 toilets where there was immediate scope for review:-

 

West End (Regent Road) Morecambe

Toilets adjacent to the Dome- Morecambe

Heysham Village

Sunderland point

Glasson Dock

Cockerham

Silverdale

Warton

Red bank shore

Carnforth

Bolton Le Sands

Hest Bank

Bull Beck

Victoria Institute- Caton (cleaned by Council)

 

The options, options analysis, including risk assessment, were set out in the report as follows:

 

 

 

Option

Pros

Cons

 

1- status quo

Retains existing levels of toilet provision.

·         Does nothing to meet requirements of MTFS.

·         Many of the toilets where City Council are in need of major repair, suffer from ongoing vandalism and are in exposed locations.

2- Mothball 14 toilets as listed in para 2.2 -from April 1 2009, with capital changes in para 2.4

·         Provides a £100,000 per year saving to revenue budget.

·         Provides a £100,000 general capital budget, for future works (including any demolition).

·         Mothballing toilets allows for medium term / long term consideration of their future.

·         Allows other bodies the opportunity to consider taking over the ongoing running of the facility.

·         Many of these toilets are in need of major repair, suffer from ongoing vandalism and are in exposed locations.

·         Represents a significant service reduction and will be unpopular with many.

·         Mothballed public buildings are unsightly and can attract vandalism.

·         Although the facility is mothballed it will still incur some service / maintenance charges.

·         If at a future date the decision is taken to reopen or demolish the mothballed toilets there will obviously be further financial implications to consider, and these might not be fully covered by the £100K capital provision.

3- Mothball some toilets of the toilets in the list in para 2.2- from April 1 2009, with capital changes in para 2.4

·         Would provide some savings to revenue budget.

·         As above.

·         Reduced service reduction.

·         The mothballing proposal of 14 toilets has been designed to generate the maximum saving from the resources that are used (eg staff, transport etc). Leaving some open would greatly reduce the saving as it would not be as efficient (ie. staff and a vehicle still have to be allocated to cleaning a reduced amount of toilets).

·         If at a future date the decision is taken to reopen or demolish the mothballed toilets again there will obviously be further financial implications to consider.

4- Community Toilet Pilot - from April 2009

·         Retains levels of service provision.

·         Cheaper to run (Pilot, but assume £20,000 per annum).

·         Provides toilets that are clean, safe, located within managed buildings and available when people need them.

·         Will impact positively on the businesses that participate through an annual contribution, publicity and signage.

·         Using 2009/2010 as pilot year allows for time to assess effectiveness and then make recommendations for 2010/2011

·         Businesses may not be willing to participate.

 

Because of the need to make savings the officer preferred option is option 2 (mothball 14 toilets as listed in para 2.2) combined with option 4 (Community Toilet Pilot). The effective date for this would be 1st April 2009.

 

It was moved by Councillor Barry and seconded by Councillor Archer:-

 

“(1)      That, with the exception of Bull Beck, the 13 toilets listed in the report (para 2.2) are ‘mothballed’ with effect from 1st April 2009 and the draft revenue budget is updated accordingly.

 

(2)               That the £26,000 savings options for Bull Beck are put into the budget process for consideration.

 

(3)               That the draft capital programme is updated to reflect the proposed changes highlighted in paragraph 2.4 of this report.

 

(4)               That a ‘Community Toilet’ scheme is put in place from April 2009 and that £20,000 is allocated to this in 2009/10.

 

(5)               That a further report is brought to Cabinet in 2009/10 to make further recommendations for the medium / long term future of these toilets and to make recommendations for the future of the ‘Community Toilet’ scheme.  In the meantime, if Parish Councils express an interest in acquiring toilets in their Parish, Cabinet would support this.”

 

By way of an addendum to recommendation (1) regarding Bull Beck toilets, which was accepted as a friendly amendment by the mover and seconder of the original proposition, Councillor Gilbert proposed:

 

“(1b) That officers explore, as far as possible, ways to reduce expenditure on Bull Beck toilets including the possibility of renewing the septic tank and looking at the possibility of locking the enclosure at night to reduce vandalism.”

 

By way of amendment, Councillor Mace proposed and Councillor Charles seconded:

 

“(6)      That discussions be commenced with Parish Councils to investigate the long term future of and funding of the public toilets situated in Parished Areas of the District, and that the outcome of these discussions be reported to Cabinet.”

 

2 Members (Councillors Charles and Mace) voted in favour of the amendment and 7 Members (Councillors Archer, Barry, Blamire, Bryning, Fletcher, Gilbert and Kerr) voted against, whereupon the Chairman declared the amendment lost.

 

Members then voted on the substantive motion:-

 

Resolved:

 

(7 Members (Councillors Archer, Barry, Blamire, Bryning, Fletcher, Gilbert and Kerr) voted in favour and 2 Members (Charles and Mace) voted against).

 

(1)        That, with the exception of Bull Beck, the 13 toilets listed in the report (para 2.2) are ‘mothballed’ with effect from 1st April 2009 and the draft revenue budget is updated accordingly.

 

(1b)      That officers explore, as far as possible, ways to reduce expenditure on Bull Beck toilets including the possibility of renewing the septic tank and looking at the possibility of locking the enclosure at night to reduce vandalism.

 

(2)               That the £26,000 savings options for Bull Beck are put into the budget process for consideration.

 

(3)               That the draft capital programme is updated to reflect the proposed changes highlighted in paragraph 2.4 of this report.

 

(4)               That a ‘Community Toilet’ scheme is put in place from April 2009 and that £20,000 is allocated to this in 2009/10.

 

(5)               That a further report is brought to Cabinet in 2009/10 to make further recommendations for the medium / long term future of these toilets and to make recommendations for the future of the ‘Community Toilet’ scheme.  In the meantime, if Parish Councils express an interest in acquiring toilets in their Parish, Cabinet would support this.

 

Officers responsible for effecting the decision:

 

Corporate Director (Community Services)

Head of City Council (Direct) Services

 

Reasons for making the decision:

 

The decision takes account of the “Community Toilet” example of best practice whilst also providing budgetary savings.

Report author: Mark Davies

Publication date: 23/02/2009

Date of decision: 17/02/2009

Decided at meeting: 17/02/2009 - Cabinet

Accompanying Documents: