Council proposal of investing thousands to spend a pennny

Council proposal of investing thousands to spend a pennny

20 February 2019

NEWRY, Mourne and Down Council is to allocate £7,000 to secure expert advice on where ratepayers will be able to spend a penny.

The local authority is seeking help from the British Toilet Association to implement a new £1.2m investment on a major upgrade of public toilets across the district.

Agreement to spend £7,000 on securing the Association’s help is expected to be confirmed at tonight’s meeting of the local authority’s Regulatory and Technical Services Committee.

Over 30 public conveniences could be in line for a major upgrade over the next three years to ensure locals and visitors can spend a penny in facilities which are up to standard.

Newcastle and Saintfield have already been identified as priority areas with work already started on a series of detailed condition surveys of existing toilets to determine whether the existing structures can be refurbished to an appropriate standard or whether a replacement toilet is required.

A project team has been set up to oversee the overhaul of public toilet provision across the district with the local authority confirming that while there has been a focus in existing facilities, consideration will also be given to providing new public conveniences.

The group in charge of the investment is meeting between March and June to form what is being described as a development strategy, with the report on how best to utilise the £1.2m investment due to be published in four months’ time.

To help formulate the strategy, council officers want assistance from the British Toilet Association which politicians will be told can provide “independent, expert advice” on public convenience provision.

Council officials insist the new strategy will assist them in directing staff on how best to use the capital spend to significantly enhance existing public toilet provision across the council area.

Politicians say they recognise that a major capital programme is required to upgrade existing toilets and implement planned improvements, designed to ensure the facilities meet the needs of a wider range of people.

The poor state of some public toilets is an issue regularly raised with councillors, while over recent years a number of the facilities have been targeted by vandals.

Public toilet provision in rural areas is also expected to be discussed by those in charge of the new strategy. Previously, the case has been made for public toilet provision in Killough and Kilclief.