Mixed views to toilet plan

Restaurant, café and public house owners are being encouraged to open their toilets to the public as part of efforts to improve facilities in Southwell.

The acting chairman of the town council’s finance and policy committee, Mr Malcolm Rose, urged businesses to sign up to a community toilet scheme.

Under the intiative, businesses would put a small logo in their windows and allow the public to use their toilets.

The council first considered the scheme in September last year.

Mr Rose said: “There have been some good reactions and some less good reactions.

“My feeling at this moment in time is that we move on with the scheme with the businesses that do want to participate but there is no point in launching a widespread initiative if there is negative feeling around.

“The people who do participate can share their experiences and other people might be moved to come on board with the scheme.”

Mr John Robinson asked how visitors to the town would know the community toilet scheme existed.

Mr Rose said he anticipated that toilets provided by the community toilet scheme would be used by people who lived in or near the town, rather than tourists.

He said: “Any tourists to the town are likely to be visiting places which have their own toilets.”

The community toilet scheme is part of the council’s plan to improve toilet facilities in the town.

Public toilets in Church Street carpark recently had an £8,500 refurbishment as part of the project.

The women’s toilets were completely refitted and the men’s toilets were deep cleaned and the hand drier replaced.

Mr Graham Ball said something needed to be done about the Westgate toilets, which were no longer in use.

He said: “They are in such a dreadful state. It’s like something out of an episode of Doctor Who. They are inviting all sorts of problems.

“Can we invite the district council to knock them down or put them back into use?”

The committee agreed to start the community toilet scheme and ask Newark and Sherwood District Council to take action over the Westgate toilets.