Issue - meetings

(a)       That the Committee supports the work completed to date and the on-going public statutory consultation on the Local Toilets Strategy; and

(b)       That the Committee’s responses to the four questions in the report be used to further develop the Local Toilets Strategy.

The Chief Officer (Streetscene and Transportation) introduced a report to seek a recommendation to Cabinet to approve the Council’s Local Toilet Strategy following the consultation period.  He provided background information and invited the Highways Network Manager to present the report.

The Highways Network Manager advised that the statutory consultation for the proposed Local Toilets Strategy had been open since 4 February 2019 with the closing date for feedback on the draft strategy being 26 April 2019.  To date the consultation had received 195 responses and a copy of the draft strategy was appended to the report.  The proposed strategy included a 12 point action plan for the two year period it covered and the Committee was asked to focus on five specific areas, as detailed in the report that formed the basis of the strategy.

Councillor David Evans referred to page 44 of the report and the needs assessment score for Shotton and asked what action was being taken to address the need for toilet provision in Shotton.  The Highways Network Manager explained that Shotton had been identified as an area that required toilet facilities as it didn’t have any existing dedicated facilities provided and there were no opportunities to use toilet provision in Council buildings such as libraries, connects centres, or leisure centres.

Councillor Chris Dolphin reported that the public toilets in Holywell were not open at the weekend and said he was not in favour of the alternative arrangements which depended on engagement with local businesses to provide toilet facilities. He commented that unless there was a much improved financial incentive from the Welsh Government it was unlikely that local businesses would consider the proposals put forward to be worthwhile.   He spoke of the needs of elderly people, people with mobility and health issues, and young children, and said it was not always practical to access existing facilities provided in Council buildings.  He spoke of the need to provide publicly accessible toilets within town centres to address the needs of people who visited their local high street to shop.

The Chief Officer advised that there had been a poor response from local businesses in general as a way of increasing the provision of additional facilities in the community and therefore alternative provision needed to be considered.

Councillor David Evans moved the recommendations.  This was seconded by Councillor Paul Shotton.

RESOLVED:

(a)       That the Committee supports the work completed to date and the on-going public statutory consultation on the Local Toilets Strategy; and

(b)       That the Committee’s responses to the four questions in the report be used to further develop the Local Toilets Strategy.