Wednesday, February 06, 2008
MORE PUBLIC ACCESS TOILETS FOR LAMBETH
Council takes action to increase public toilet access
31 January 2008
Businesses in Lambeth are to be given grants of up to £1,000 a year to open their toilets to the public as part of a council plan to ensure people have better access to loos.
The new scheme is part of a package of proposals that aim to make sure no-one has to walk more than 500 metres to find a toilet in town centres in Lambeth by 2010.
Under the 'community toilet scheme' shops, restaurants and other businesses will be given cash incentives to open their toilets to the public. The cash is designed to help towards maintaining the toilets to a reasonable standard, and signs will be put up so visitors to town centres know which businesses are participating in the scheme.
Council inspectors will ensure that standards are maintained and that grants are being spent effectively.
The council has signed up 23 small to medium-sized businesses to the scheme, which is scheduled to be in place by the end of the summer.
The plans, which were given the go-ahead at a meeting of the council's cabinet, also include the introduction of a number of space age 'pop-up' urinals in town centre areas to cater for late night drinkers and tackle the problem of people urinating in the street.
The council has earmarked £120,000 for these urinals, and has secured extra funding from the private sector that should allow seven new urinals to be installed in the borough.
The council is also looking at the possibility of relocating three existing toilets, called Universal Super Loos, to busier areas that have higher numbers of visitors, so they are better used. It is also investigating making a charge for some existing facilities, in order provide additional funding to help pay for the toilet improvement plan.
Cllr Lib Peck, Cabinet member for environment and culture on Lambeth Council, said: "We believe that people have a right to expect access to decent toilet facilities when they visit town centres. Public toilets have been neglected over the years, but these plans start to put this right and I very much welcome them.
"Offering grants to businesses to open their toilets to the public will benefit shoppers. It also makes sense financially, because it is a more cost-effective solution than building new public toilet blocks, which are expensive to build and maintain.
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