THE BOGS ARE BACK

FOR A WHILE AT LEAST... MONTHS AFTER GETTING RID OF PARK TOILETS COUNCIL PAYS FOR TEMPORARY LOOS

BRISTOL City Council is paying to install temporary toilets in an east Bristol park six months after closing the permanent loos.

The portable toilets will be installed in St George Park for the duration of the school summer holidays, which start for most children next Monday.

It comes after the council closed all of the city’s 14 ‘on-street’ toilets in January, leaving 18 ‘park’ toilets open.

The council timed the closures with the launch of its community toilet scheme which involves businesses offering up their facilities to the public free of charge.

However, parents, children and other park users have been left frustrated at the toilet closure as there are no businesses with facilities which can be opened up in the area.

A spokesperson has confirmed the council is considering two sites for the temporary toilets, but has refused to reveal how much the portable loos will cost.

“Funding has been found to provide temporary toilet facilities for St George Park over the summer holiday period,” the spokesperson said. “Two sites have been identified alongside the children’s play park and the bowls club.”

The council’s concession to fund the temporary toilets comes after a hard-fought local campaign.

More than 50 residents launched the ‘bring back the bogs’ pressure group in May and lobbied the council for toilet provision in the park.

While most agreed the current location of the closed toilets is not ideal, all agreed it was important to have some form of provision in the area.

The group has now applied for funding to open a permanent set of toilets in the park.

The council spokesperson added: “An application has been made for Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funding for permanent toilet facilities in the park.

“The application is still at the first stage, and no further details are available at this time.”

Several groups including Bristol Older People’s Forum and bowel and celiac organisations have raised concern about the toilet closures across the city.

Eyebrows have also been raised at the lack of independent shops and cafes taking part in the community toilet scheme.

The council lists 60 places with publicly available loos in the city, but many, such as the Cabot Circus shopping centre and Horfield Leisure Centre, would already have been available to residents before the launch of the programme.

There are only a handful of independent businesses listed on the community toilet website and owners have told Bristol Post the lack of financial and legal support from the council puts them off opening up their facilities.

Despite this, the authority still maintains the scheme is a success.

“Following the closure of 14 on street public toilets in the city in January, the council has been working hard to set up its Community Toilet Scheme,” a spokesperson said.

“So far 60 venues have signed up to take part, offering free toilets for the public to use around the city. We are currently in discussions with over 50 other venues around the city about signing up.

“We are working with charities that represent older people, disability groups, people who are homeless and community groups to help grow and improve the scheme to make sure that we are doing everything we can to recognise the needs of vulnerable people in the city as part of this work.”

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Funding has been found to provide temporary toilet facilities for St George Park