Spending a penny

ARGYLL and Bute Council has just hived off museums, leisure centres and libraries to an arms’ length trust which may save money.

Whether it turns out to be positive remains to be seen. What is definitely not positive is the plan to penalise people caught short and close public conveniences.

People are outraged. Towns have had public toilets since Roman times although it was during the Victorian push for sanitation and sewers that most were built.

A woman from Carradale said in a phone call to the Courier on Wednesday: ‘Do they expect us to relieve ourselves in the streets?’

The idea has been gathering traction that people should use the facilities in hotels and cafés. That is not an acceptable solution.

Most French and a good number of British towns, including Inveraray for example, have paid-for facilities. Why could spending a penny not return to Kintyre with a turnstile.

Why should businesses already facing a hike in rates subsidise the council?