A Highland Council press release states:
"The budget for operating public conveniences across Highland was reduced by £250,000 in 2016/17 and a further £344,000 in 2017/18, at Highland Council in February 2016 as part of the overall budget savings, leaving a budget of £639,000 thereafter.
The council operates 102 public conveniences and 27 comfort schemes with annual costs of £1.233 million.
Members of the Community Services Committee have agreed that the service should seek to achieve savings without the closure of toilets during 2016/17, but that there may need to be closures of toilets in 2017/18 to achieve the total savings required.
A proposal was put forward to increase charges for using public conveniences to 50p, however Members agreed that local communities should be consulted about an increase in charges, before a decision is made.
Chair of the Community Services Committee, Councillor Allan Henderson said: “It is essential that the agreed savings are achieved and this cannot be done without raising charges, closing toilets or a combination of both. This is something that is important for local communities to consider and decide what is best for their community.”
Tourist town with no toilets available for tourists is not an option. You can't expect cafe's and Community Centre to provide access to all without subsidy.
ReplyDeleteLong gone are the days when you want to "spend a penny" now its a bloody fortune.
ReplyDeleteMaybe oor cooncillor's could take turns of popping to the loos behind and giving them a quick dicht oot with a splash oh flash, after all they get paid enough!
Yours
Pishwana needtogo
perhaps if the council had the democratic freedom to raise the council tax........?
ReplyDeleteSo what is the £315million that Inverness got as part of the "City deal" being spent on? Should that not free up existing money to then be used for places that exist outside Inverness, & on important services which is what the Council is there to provide (public services).
ReplyDeleteif the council decide to close Nairn,s public conveniances,,we should all be allowed to use the toilets at the courthouse.after all,,,,,we paid for them
ReplyDeletenarook.
I love the alliteration in the heading! Well done!
ReplyDeleteD.Ross - if you read the detail on the "city deal" its actually encompassing quite a few existing project and already scheduled projects too - ones not covered by the "city deal" are now subject to finding other funding sources - they may still be council / government funded but i guess are slipping back in the priority if the "city deal" is first in the queue.
ReplyDeleteas for its reach outside of inverness - it seems limited , after all its not called a city deal for nothing :-( not sure it can go on council services - its more focused on one of big projects.