Forever fix needed to keep Ganavan toilets open all year
A community takeover could be the permanent solution to keeping Ganavan toilets open all year round.
Oban ward councillor Jim Lynch says now winter opening has been secured for this year it is time to look for a forever fix - and that could mean a community group taking on the upkeep responsibility.
The toilets at Ganavan are one of six council-run facilities across Argyll and Bute that will be staying open when traditionally they would close for the winter months until April.
Crinan, Ulva, Kilchattan Bay, Glenmorag and Sandy Beach near Dunoon are the others.
Funding to keep them open is one-off and has come from excess Covid money after an executive decision was made by the council last week.
An Argyll and Bute Council spokesperson said: ‘This reflects the fact there are still ongoing Covid issues and some evidence of staycation activity, albeit reduced from peak season. This is a one-off allocation from Covid funding and there is no budget beyond this current financial year from existing budget allocations.’
Councillor Lynch said: ‘Everyone is out and about now that restrictions have been lifted. People are enjoying making the most of going places, especially places like Ganavan. Now we have secured this winter’s opening we need to be looking for a permanent solution. We need to work now to get a solution for it. That could be a community take-over.
‘We need to look at all the options.’
Just 10 days before Ganavan toilets were due to close, a letter signed by 13 sporting and
‘Our local councillors have pushed hard for this outcome and it’s great news they will stay open this winter.’
outdoor groups who regularly use the popular spot and its public conveniences was sent to council bosses.
In February this year Adventure Oban stepped up following an appeal by BID4Oban for someone to open and clean the toilets at weekends until they reopened fully in April.
BID4Oban helped pay costs and there was an honesty box for donations.
Doreen Henderson from Adventure Oban said: ‘Our local councillors have pushed hard for this outcome and it’s great news they will stay open this winter. As for the future, funding would need to come from somewhere.
‘Someone would need to be employed to clean them but the community could take on the management.
‘I’d like to think what Adventure Oban did earlier this year has helped prove that could happen.’
Oban North and Lorn Councillor Elaine Robertson raised the need to keep Ganavan toilets open through the winter at a virtual meeting of the authority’s policy and resources committee on October 14, where a report revealed that more than £1.6million of Scottish Government funding for the purposes of recovery from the pandemic still remained available to the authority.
This week Oban community council convener Marri Malloy said it was ‘great news’ for this year, but she was worried about next year.
‘We’ve tried before as a community council to take it on and there have been other offers of help.
‘Ganavan is Oban’s public park rain, hail or shine, so its toilets need to be open all year,’ she said.