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Raising bog standards
3:04pm Wednesday 20th February 2008
Comments (4)A web designer has lifted the lid on the state of public toilets in his town by posting an online film of his findings.
When Peter Chapman set up his website, Burgess Hill Uncovered, in 2004, the good loo guide was one of the first stories to go live.
The 25-year-old ventured into Burgess Hill's toilets with the site's gorilla mascot and showed how badly they were going down the pan.
He hoped the exposé would shame Mid Sussex District Council into doing something about them.
But, according to Mr Chapman, four years on, nothing has changed.
In his latest bid to prompt some action, Peter has posted a film set to the Beatles song Help! on the videosharing website YouTube.
Peter said: "I chose YouTube because it will enable people to leave comments so the district council can see exactly what people think."
Peter's footage has attracted support from residents. One viewer commented: "The video is clear evidence that the council doesn't give a monkey's. I am disgusted."
In his original story, Peter exposed a catalogue of health and safety failings including an exposed electrical box in one toilet in Market Place and flooded floors and a broken window in one at Cyprus Road.
When he returned, he said, there was little evidence of improvement.
Peter said: "The council appears to have spent some money in Cyprus Road by replacing the windows.
Unfortunately, the Martlets toilets are in a terrible state, not to mention a health and safety minefield."
The list of shame included a wet and slippery floor, cracks and a hole in the floor, a broken drain cover with an exposed metal point and graffiti.
Peter said: "At a time when Mid Sussex District Council is being questioned over £250,000 losses on the Big Culture Show, why is it not using public money to improve vital facilities like public toilets? Organising extravagant social events should come much further down in its list of priorities."
A spokesman for Mid Sussex District Council said: "The council divested itself of many of the public toilets it formerly was responsible for.
"We are looking into whether the council has responsibility for any of the toilets mentioned."
What do you think? Leave your comments below.
Your Say YourThe Argus
Randy, Burgess Hill says...
4:07pm Wed 20 Feb 08
PissMY Pants, Public Toilets, Burgess Hill says...
10:01pm Wed 20 Feb 08
O no - there's a number two on its way out now....
Caught Short, Hurstpierpoint says...
7:24pm Thu 21 Feb 08
Every time I use this place, and as you get older you do need to, I wonder what sort of people we are breeding in this country. Its the same feral children and moronic and perverted adults that cause this damage. I cannot blame the cleaner, there is a limit to what can be done when the infrastructure has been allowed to get as bad as this.
These toilets are also less than 250yds from the Burgess Hill Town Council offices.
Perhaps those sentenced to community service should be made to deep clean places like this, or would it contravene their human rights ? Goodness knows what visitors to our country think when they see places like this. I have truly only seen one toilet worse than this, in Romania where toilet paper is not included in the weekly budget.
Yes, our councils are well used to divesting themselves of responsibility for most things these days, except from taking high salaries and employing consultants to tell them how they should be doing their jobs. Perhaps when they discover which toilets they are responsible for they can get off their corporate bottom and take a look at them. They will then probably divest themselves completely of this public service
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Mark, Lindfield says...
3:32pm Wed 20 Feb 08