Conservatives admit Public Toilets to Close

10.58.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 28th Sep 2009

After weeks of prevarication the Conservative Leader of the Council has been forced to admit that he was wrong when he told the Leader of the Opposition, Lib Dem Cllr Fran Wilson, by email, that no public toilets would close until alternative facilities were in place.

The Conservative member for the Environment also stated at the full council meeting on Wednesday 23rd September that the closures of the toilets at Palace Avenue, Parkwood and Shepway was "imminent" giving as his reason that "the number one objective behind the decision was to improve the standards and quality of the facilities we provide".

It is difficult to understand how 'no' public toilet provides an improvement to quality, especially when there are no other alternatives available in the immediate area of the three conveniences scheduled for imminent closure. Even harder to comprehend those closures when the Leader has also pledged to maintain 'all' frontline services.

Opposition Leader Fran Wilson said, " The reason our toilets cost more to run than other comparable districts in Kent is because they are outdated and require a major overhaul. We have now been granted significant growth point money by the government. We could have upgraded our public toilets to an excellent standard and perhaps even provided new toilets in the All Saints heritage area, for a fraction of the four million pounds that this Conservative administration is using to repave the High Street."

Lib Dem Councillor Tony Harwood, the shadow cabinet member for Regeneration added, "The roads and footways in the High Street are the responsibility of the Kent County Council as the Highways Authority and not Maidstone Borough Council; whereas the provision of public conveniences is undoubtedly the responsibility of the Borough Council. For many residents (including expectant mothers) their provision is a necessity not a luxury. Liberal Democrats believe this Conservative administration is making wrong choices regarding growth point money and closure of public toilets is completely the wrong decision."