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Toilets closure 'will hit elderly' (From The Oxford Times)
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Toilets closure 'will hit elderly'
6:30am Friday 16th October 2009
A DECISION by cash-strapped Oxford City Council to close seven public toilets to save £50,000 a year has been criticised.
Toilets in Castle Street, in the city centre, Littlemore, Woodstock Road and South Parade in North Oxford, Barns Road in Cowley, Knight’s Road in Blackbird Leys, and Headington Hill Park are expected to be sold off or demolished.
Toilets in Gloucester Green are to be refurbished into a “world-class” facility, at a cost of £300,000, with visitors charged 20p to use them.
The Labour-run council plans to borrow the money to revamp the Gloucester Green toilets and, with a predicted annual income of £25,000 a year, it will take 12 years to repay the investment.
The decision to close the conveniences was made on Wednesday. Councillors also agreed to encourage shops and businesses to open up their toilets to everyone — not just customers.
Last night, Jean Fooks, Liberal Democrat councillor for Summertown, said: “The council has just invested £55,000 for a new play area for Alexandra Park, off Woodstock Road, but it is closing the nearby toilets.
“The elderly will be particularly hard hit by these closures — I know some of them don’t go out if they are not sure of finding a loo.
“This is not joined-up thinking and people will end up urinating in the park.
“Age Concern wrote a letter to the council complaining about the proposal, but its views have not been included in any report.
“You can have a world-class loo in Gloucester Green, but that only serves one part of the city.
“This decision will not encourage visitors to keep coming to Oxford and it’s bad news for the elderly.”
Mother-of-two Laura Evers, 38, a spokesman for the Friends of Alexandra Park, urged the council not to close the ladies’ toilets in South Parade and the men’s toilets in Woodstock Road.
She said: “I have two children, aged five and three, and if there is an event in the park, they need somewhere nearby to go to the toilet.
“The retail outlets in Summertown don’t want people coming in just to use the toilet.”
City council Green leader Craig Simmons said: “Labour has made promises to provide alternative provision by entering into deals to use facilities in restaurants, shops and cafes, but no firm plans are in place.”
Labour city councillor John Tanner, board member for a cleaner, greener Oxford, said the toilets would close as early as Monday, with the Gloucester Green toilets refurbished between 2010-11.
He added: “We are keeping open the toilets most people use most of the time.
“I have never known this city council so short of money. I started off regretting these closures, but now I could think of lots of other ways of spending £50,000 a year.”
The demolition costs will be taken from the City Works budget.
Mr Tanner said part of the £50,000 annual saving was being made by redeploying two members of staff.
affrench@oxfordmail.co.uk
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Your Say YourOxford
OxfordResident, Oxford says...
7:32am Fri 16 Oct 09
This is the same insane thinking that gave us those horrid seats on Cornmarket at £25000 a piece.
If they are going to spend that sort of money, actually try and make the bus station a generally more welcoming place - the general environment there is the embarrassment to the city not the toilets
Fat boy, Witney says...
7:42am Fri 16 Oct 09
livid99, not far away says...
7:44am Fri 16 Oct 09
Quentin Walker, Oxford says...
8:23am Fri 16 Oct 09
"...“I have never known this city council so short of money. I started off regretting these closures, but now I could think of lots of other ways of spending £50,000 a year.”
Like giving grants to half-baked minority group events?
parentsay, Oxford says...
8:56am Fri 16 Oct 09
Gunslinger, Abingdon says...
9:24am Fri 16 Oct 09
Evidently not much effort is being made to cut back on administration and management, to protect 'front line' services.
Trouble is, come election time the Greens/Liberals have in the past not fared much better at getting a grip on things.
Concerned one, Oxford says...
10:12am Fri 16 Oct 09
colbart, Abingdon says...
11:16am Fri 16 Oct 09
Not enough room to have a list of other stores which have facilities for patrons/customers only. Not just Summertown stores which wouldn't agree to 'open' their facilities to the 'general public'.
Andrew:Oxford, Oxford says...
11:18am Fri 16 Oct 09
colbart, Abingdon says...
11:20am Fri 16 Oct 09
Why close them Monday then refurbish the single unit??.
Not enough room to have a list of other stores which have facilities for patrons/customers only. Not just Summertown stores which wouldn't agree to 'open' their facilities to the 'general public'.
LadyPenelope, Oxford says...
12:19pm Fri 16 Oct 09
They are mistake if they think people will pay 20p to pee. I will either pee on the bus, or pee in Debenhams.
Quentin Walker, Oxford says...
1:00pm Fri 16 Oct 09
They're taking the p
Quentin Walker, Oxford says...
1:01pm Fri 16 Oct 09
OxfordResident, Oxford says...
1:26pm Fri 16 Oct 09
Quentin Walker wrote:They are "saving" £50000 a year by spending £300000, from which they think they will get £25000 a year (125000 paying visitors a year). Therefore if they are looking at a 10 year plan (presuming they will still be there/need to be refurbed then), and if no money is spent on maintenance/repairs etc, they are looking at losing £50000 over that period. How exactly is that saving money?
Labour city councillor John Tanner, board member for a cleaner, greener Oxford, said
"...“I have never known this city council so short of money. I started off regretting these closures, but now I could think of lots of other ways of spending £50,000 a year.”
Like giving grants to half-baked minority group events?
Andrew:Oxford, Oxford says...
1:59pm Fri 16 Oct 09
OxfordResident wrote:Are you sure it's a 10 year plan? I understood that it was the short-medium term plan to close Gloucester Green bus/coach station (which was never designed for a high quality/high capacity/high volume service) and moving it to Oxpens
Quentin Walker wrote: Labour city councillor John Tanner, board member for a cleaner, greener Oxford, said "...“I have never known this city council so short of money. I started off regretting these closures, but now I could think of lots of other ways of spending £50,000 a year.” Like giving grants to half-baked minority group events?They are "saving" £50000 a year by spending £300000, from which they think they will get £25000 a year (125000 paying visitors a year). Therefore if they are looking at a 10 year plan (presuming they will still be there/need to be refurbed then), and if no money is spent on maintenance/repairs etc, they are looking at losing £50000 over that period. How exactly is that saving money?
brianbbleys, bbleys says...
2:14pm Fri 16 Oct 09
EB, Oxford says...
3:56pm Fri 16 Oct 09
Well sack some of your incompetant, bureaucratic management and other staff. OCC is too top heavy, too wasteful of public money and needs seriously cutting down to size.
Got rid of that bottled water yet?
OxfordResident, Oxford says...
6:15pm Fri 16 Oct 09
Andrew:Oxford wrote:Oh, of course its not a 10 year plan...it was just an exaggerated example to show that even over 10 years it would cost money, not save it. Anything shorter and the loss is much bigger.
OxfordResident wrote:Are you sure it's a 10 year plan? I understood that it was the short-medium term plan to close Gloucester Green bus/coach station (which was never designed for a high quality/high capacity/high volume service) and moving it to Oxpens
Quentin Walker wrote: Labour city councillor John Tanner, board member for a cleaner, greener Oxford, said "...“I have never known this city council so short of money. I started off regretting these closures, but now I could think of lots of other ways of spending £50,000 a year.” Like giving grants to half-baked minority group events?They are "saving" £50000 a year by spending £300000, from which they think they will get £25000 a year (125000 paying visitors a year). Therefore if they are looking at a 10 year plan (presuming they will still be there/need to be refurbed then), and if no money is spent on maintenance/repairs etc, they are looking at losing £50000 over that period. How exactly is that saving money?
dreaminaspires, Abingdon says...
7:46pm Fri 16 Oct 09
"Toilets in Castle Street, in the city centre, Littlemore, Woodstock Road and South Parade in North Oxford, Barns Road in Cowley, Knight’s Road in Blackbird Leys, and Headington Hill Park are expected to be sold off or demolished. "
Note the sold off. We bit of assett stripping on the QT me thinks
X Large Doner w/Chili, Hussein's says...
5:12am Sat 17 Oct 09
hesperus, Didcot says...
7:03am Sat 17 Oct 09
brianbbleys, bbleys says...
2:02pm Sat 17 Oct 09
camden, dorchester says...
11:31am Thu 22 Oct 09
onate car parking charges and closing toilets are just a small part of their masterplan.
Remember though, you the people of Oxford voted them in and as such resonsibility is as much yours as theirs.
There are plenty of other towns that welcome shoppers and visitors and in doing so provide the right facilities at a competitive rate.
Cold winds and Tumble weed rolling down High Street past boarded up and empty shops is Oxfords future under the present control!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!
John Tanner outside the Gloucester Green toilets
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iceman7, oxford says...
7:16am Fri 16 Oct 09