Ropemakers toilets to shut for winter

Plans to close a public toilet in Perth city centre over the winter have been dubbed “sneaky” and “stupid”.

The public toilets in Ropemakers Close are set to close at the end of this month, as Perth and Kinross Council says it does “not have a statutory duty to provide facilities”.

The toilets will not reopen until March next year.

Mary Sutherland, a pensioner who lives in Bridgend and visits the city centre two or three times every week, said she is angry the public has not been informed of this. She said: “I want to see them stay open, I feel so angry that there is no notice telling the public that it is going to close at the end of this month.

“It is like they are trying to avoid a protest from people or something.

“It is very sneaky of them not telling the public because lots of us depend on it and it is a horrible way to deal with the situation.”

Mary says she suffers from an inflammatory condition called diverticulitis, which often means she needs to visit the toilet in a hurry.

She continued:“We still need to use the toilet between September and March, it is stupid.

“There are disabled people who rely on those toilets and people coming from the Shopmobility in the [Canal Street] car park, and the public deserve to know about that.

“It is all right for the council sitting in their marble ivory tower with their posh toilets, but what about the public who are stuck here?”

Mary was sent a letter, seen by the PA, by the council’s community waste team after she complained about the move earlier this summer.

In the response, it said:“In the current economic climate, local authorities have to make difficult financial decisions and so it was agreed at the budget setting in February 2018 that some public toilets would be closed in the winter as we do not have a statutory duty to provide facilities.

“However, Perth and Kinross Council operates a comfort scheme whereby local businesses allow the public to use their toilet facilities free of charge.

“The comfort schemes in the city centre are located at Perth Theatre, Perth Concert Hall, Perth Bus Station and Pullar House.

“There are also facilities available at St John’s Shopping Centre.

“The seasonal closure of the public toilets will be publicised and we are currently working on the communication strategy.”

However, Mary said it is a“disgrace” members of the public should be expected to find other places to go to the toilet.

She said:“We are now expected to go to private places, but why should we be pushed in there when we don’t want to?

“I often feel like I am not allowed to go in those places. “It is a proper disgrace, it really is.” The public toilets, which cost 50p to enter, will be sealed off at the end of this month and will not be reopened until March.

The issue was also raised at an environment and infrastructure meeting earlier this week.

The PA contacted Perth and Kinross Council for a comment, but they did not reply before going to print.