Town’s public loos to stay closed until guidance changes
PUBLIC toilets in Caerphilly county borough will remain closed until Welsh Government guidance around cleaning changes, despite calls to reopen them.
Caerphilly’s Plaid Cymru group has called for the council to reopen public toilets in Caerphilly parks, provided it is safe to do so.
The leader of Caerphilly’s Plaid group, Cllr Colin Mann, said it makes little sense that the refreshment kiosk in Ystrad Mynach Park is open, but the park’s toilets are shut.
He said: “I’ve been to the park and talked to staff and they tell me that 20-30 people a day are asking about the toilets.
“I’m aware that some parents with young children have been forced to find somewhere else in the park where their children can go to the toilet.
“The ironic thing is that disabled people, who have radar keys, can access the disabled loos in Ystrad.
“I have requested that council officers review this situation and resolve the problem.”
However, the council has said toilets cannot be reopened until Welsh Government guidance on cleaning changes.
A spokesman said: “To operate safely, the Welsh Government states that frequently touched surfaces should be wiped down twice a day and one of these should be at the at the beginning or the end of the working day.
“Cleaning should be more frequent depending on the number of people using the toilets, whether users are entering and exiting the facilities, there should be access to handwashing and hand-sanitizing facilities.
“This is something that we do not have the resources to manage to the extent required to protect users from possibly contracting coronavirus.
“Public safety is of paramount importance and we must operate within the guidelines to ensure this.
“These facilities will be opened when it is safe to do so and we have had further guidance from Welsh Government.”
Despite this, other Welsh authorities such as Cardiff council and Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council have already reopened their public toilets in parks.
A BUILDER took tens of thousands of pounds from his customers, promising them prompt and high quality work, and then left their homes in ruins.
Robert Hayel left a doctor fearing her home would collapse when cracks appeared in the walls, and never returned to a pregnant woman’s house after ripping out the boiler.
Cardiff Crown Court heard he sent a message to one couple promising: “I will never rip you off.”
Carl Harrison, prosecuting, said the charges related to the period between January 2014 and March 2016 and involved eight victims in Bridgend, Cardiff, Newport and Penarth.
The defendant was initially trading as Hayel Construction and then H&D Builders. The court heard he gave a false history of the business and a false reference to one customer.
Mr Harrison said the defendant’s claims to complete high quality building work on time and within budget “could not be further from the truth”.
The court heard he asked for payments and started the work promptly to gain the customers’ confidence.