Toilet sales halted as the fight goes on
The controversial sale of public toilets on Arran has been halted as North Ayrshire Council considers the case put forward by campaigners who have petitioned against their closure.
It is the latest twist in the long-running saga over the future of the public toilets which have been closed since the end of March.
The council immediately put some of the premises up for sale – Lamlash, Lochranza and Blackwaterfoot – and asked for bids by April 25.
But despite a number of applications, the process is now on hold with potential purchasers having received a letter telling them: ‘At present there is a temporary delay in the acceptance of any offers... pending consideration of the petition submitted to the council.’
The latest move comes just days after voters went to the poll to elect new councillors to North Ayrshire Council.
As a result Arran now has two representatives, Conservative Timothy Billings, who won the seat, and Ellen McMaster of the SNP, who have both vowed to take up the toilet fight. It will be the new council’s audit and scrutiny committee which will consider both the online and written petitions on May 30.
The online petition, which was started by Hilary Paton from Glasgow more than seven months ago, rapidly gained public support and her appearance on radio shows and through social media attracted more than 1,700 people opposed to the closure. At the request of the council, paper copies of the petition also had to be gathered and presented, according to the council’s guidelines, to be accepted. Local shops including the Book and Card Centre in Brodick, The Glenisle Hotel and The Pierhead Tavern in Lamlash, along with various other businesses across Arran, acted as collection points where people continue to sign the petitions and submit letters of disapproval.
While the toilets at Lamlash, Lochranza and Blackwaterfoot are up for sale, the toilets at Brodick, Glen Sannox and North Sannox have been deemed unfit for use and decommissioned. Some toilets, although not council owned, have been adopted by communities on Arran, such as at the Corrie Village Hall and at Kilmory Hall, where they are open to the public, along with various establishments offering visitors the use of their facilities.
Some, such as the Corrie Hotel and the Corrie Tea Room
suggest a small charitable donation for the upkeep and maintenance of the facilities.
At the Corrie Hotel, owner Anne Masson said: ‘People have been coming in to use our toilets and we have a sign outside welcoming visitors and suggesting a small donation to the Arran Mountain Rescue Team donation box if possible, but we also find that people return later to have some lunch or a drink. Our newly refurbished public bar which opens today (Saturday) will also welcome visitors needing to use our toilets.’
VisitArran this week also entered the debate and in a statement said: ‘VisitArran was very proactive on this issue last year when the announcement was made regarding closure. Since then we continually lobbied NAC and other agencies raising our concerns.
‘We were supportive of the community council in its cam- paigning too. The situation is very concerning, but we must also remember that the public toilets on Arran were, frankly, not up to standards expected of a holiday island – and renovating them was not within the community council or VisitArran’s resources, either financially or practically. We commend the community groups which have taken such facilities on, and have no doubt those communities will make a success of their ventures.’
A North Ayrshire Council spokesman said: ‘We can confirm that the petition relating to the public toilets on Arran is expected to be considered by the council’s audit and scrutiny committee on May 30.’