Public toilet closure saving £20k a year is slammed
A BOROUGH councillor in Loughborough has hit out at plans to permanently close a public toilet in the town centre.
Labour councillor Mary Draycott has opposed the move by Charnwood Borough Council to close the Biggin Street toilets, saying that the facility is important in attracting shoppers to come into town.
She said: “Even with less footfall in the town centre at present understandably during the pandemic, such facilities are very important and a possible consideration by shoppers whether to come into Loughborough town centre or not. With fewer eateries open now for inside services other options are reduced.
“Hopefully soon things are going to improve so there is no justification for full closure. My experience is that once something is closed it is gone for ever.”
A spokesperson for Charnwood Borough Council said: “We know public toilets are important to visitors to any town and in Loughborough we have awardwinning facilities in Market Place which are 250 metres from the
Biggin Street toilets.
“The council is considering consolidating public toilet provision in Market Place which would save £20,000 a year.
“This is part of a package of measures being considered in the budget as the council needs to save around £1.5 million in the next financial year.
“The budget will be considered by Cabinet in February and then a final decision will be taken by full council later that month.”
At a meeting of the Loughborough Area Committee in December, Cllr Draycott put forward a motion that a £5,500 pot allocated for another item that is not going to be spent this coming year could be invested into keeping the Biggin Street toilets open, at least on market days.
The motion was agreed by councillors and will be put forward as a recommendation to the next Cabinet meeting.
Biggin Street toilets are currently closed due to staff shortages.
Such facilities are very important and a possible consideration by shoppers whether to come into Loughborough town centre or not Mary Draycott (pictured)