Campaigners launch bid to save nine Brighton and Hove toilets

7:10pm Tuesday 13th December 2011 in News

Hilary Benn MP Labours Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government supporting LOLA. Labours 'Leave Our Loos Alone' campaign. Buy this photo » Hilary Benn MP Labours Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government supporting LOLA. Labours 'Leave Our Loos Alone' campaign.

A campaign to force a u-turn on proposed public toilet closures is all systems go.

Under proposals by the Green administration at Brighton and Hove City Council nine public toilets would close and six remain open but with reduced attendance hours.

The proposals are aimed at saving £163,000 from the Cityclean budget and if agreed would come into effect in 2012/13.

But opposition councillors and campaigners for the disabled and elderly have panned the proposals.

A petition and Facebook group has now been set up calling for the council to Leave Our Loos Alone (LOLA).

If the measures are approved it would mean the city losing almost 30% of its public toilets over a decade.

A council spokeswoman said in 2002 there were 53 public toilets compared to 47 now, becoming 38 under the budget proposals.

'Need to open'

Disability campaigner, Chris Kift, from the public toilet users’ group, run by the Brighton and Hove Local Involvement Network, but said he had no idea cuts to toilets were in the offing.

He said: “We had been talking about the need to open more toilets not to close the ones we have already got. It goes against everything we have been recommending.

“The council may say that they are planning to close toilets only if there are other alternatives nearby but we need to make sure those alternatives are accessible for disabled or elderly people.”

Mr Kift said the council’s Use Our Loo scheme, in which businesses allow public access to their toilets, was unfair on those offering their services.

He said: “It is one thing to ask them to help out in addition to what the council is offering but it is completely another to ask them to replace a public service.

“This is a bad decision that will affect far too many people for too little gain for the council. It needs to be re-thought immediately.”

The LOLA campaign was launched this week by the Brighton and Hove Labour and Co-Operative group. Their calls were backed during a visit by shadow cabinet member for communities and local government.

Group leader Gill Mitchell said: “Toilets are a basic public service and are essential for parents of young children, older people, and people with medical conditions such as diabetes.

"I’m pledging today that the Labour and Co-operative group will vote to stop any toilets in Brighton and Hove closing when the Greens bring their budget of cuts to council.”

MP backing

The campaign also has the backing of Hilary Benn, shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.

Conservative group leader Geoffrey Theobald said: “This is an example of how the Greens are targeting really important frontline servicers.

“Younger people might feel comfortable with going to use the toilet in a pub without buying a drink but a lot of older people wouldn’t and parents with children will also find that difficult."

The authority has previously been flushed with success in relation to its toilets, having come top of the 2011 Premier League for local authority public toilets.

A council spokeswoman said: “The decision to include toilet closures as part of the proposed budget cuts was not easy.

“However, we have done everything we can to minimise the effects on residents and most of the toilets earmarked for closure have been selected where there are other alternative facilities within walking distance.”

The LOLA petition can be viewed at www.gopetition.com/petitions/lola-leave-our-loos-alone.html and the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/LeaveOurLoosAlone.

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Comments(23)

Maxwell's Ghost says...
7:19pm Tue 13 Dec 11

Cut them in the areas where people voted in a Green councillor.
Those of us who didn't shouldn't be penalised for their poor budgeting.

Report this post »

Lady Smith says...
7:37pm Tue 13 Dec 11

If the campaign succeeds, it will be a U-bend turn...

Report this post »

Servalan says...
7:40pm Tue 13 Dec 11

Lady Smith wrote:
If the campaign succeeds, it will be a U-bend turn...
/applauds/

Report this post »

Boris D says...
7:40pm Tue 13 Dec 11

well if it means the end of dirty smelly toilets then all the better , and how ironic Mr Kift on another group funded by the council !! when a good way to safe money is get rid of all these silly groups , but then i suppose kift is a regular in the mens loos

Report this post »

kkj says...
8:20pm Tue 13 Dec 11

Maxwell's Ghost wrote:
Cut them in the areas where people voted in a Green councillor.
Those of us who didn't shouldn't be penalised for their poor budgeting.
If the toilets are closed where a Green councillor has been elected, how, exactly, is it penalising the people who voted them in?

Report this post »

Dingdong123 says...
8:32pm Tue 13 Dec 11

I thought bt phone boxes were toilets!!!!

Report this post »

Mr.Logical1 says...
8:38pm Tue 13 Dec 11

We have toilets?

Report this post »

lorrie1 says...
8:47pm Tue 13 Dec 11

What a great idea! Close all the public toilets, then when people get charged for going in the street, shop door ways etc the council makes money by making them pay a fine, what a novel way to make money! Brilliant.

Report this post »

Andy R says...
8:56pm Tue 13 Dec 11

This really takes the biscuit (or maybe is taking the pee?). LABOUR is campaigning against public toilet closures??? What short memories they must think we have.

Report this post »

HJarrs says...
9:09pm Tue 13 Dec 11

Many of you posters were criticising the Greens for raising council tax last week to minimize the cuts to £35 million. The cuts will have to be far deeper if the council tax raise is rejected. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. So far Labour and Conservative parties have backed a council tax freeze and are fighting cuts. I bet they are secretly relieved that they are out of power as it would have been them wielding the axe.

The reality of puplic service cuts demonstrates that there are few areas that can really be cut without an immediate drop in quality of service.

Report this post »

Maxwell's Ghost says...
6:48am Wed 14 Dec 11

HJarrs everyone knows cuts need to be made, but it's the poor decisions about where the axe needs to fall and how the council can generate revenue.
Not one idea just lazy economics of parking increases and cuts. Where is the innovation and stimulation of the economy?
If you look at the profile of the councillors not one of them has any economic or business experience which is a serious risk to the city irrelevant of politics which is why most seem to have slunk off into the background.

Report this post »

whereisthe...? says...
7:58am Wed 14 Dec 11

THE PETITION IS AT



http://www.gopetitio
n.com/petitions/lola
-leave-our-loos-alon
e.html




The Argus one was typed wrong so doesn't work. Nice going Argus.

Report this post »

ShorehamBeachcomber says...
8:04am Wed 14 Dec 11

So Labour cut 6 & now they're campaigning against the Greens want to cut 9. No consideration for the millions of tourists that have meant Brighton has suffered less shop & pub closures than anywhere else, they need visible & er, regular, sites..they're called Public Conveniences not Public Inconveniences

Report this post »

Angryoldman says...
8:20am Wed 14 Dec 11

Occupy Brighton supporter wrote:
News Flash

Occupy Brighton is considering occupying the public toilets in Brighton. This will allow us to improve our camp hygiene significantly and all are welcome to join us for one big movement.
Will there be seating or will we be bringing our own stools?

Report this post »

Morpheus says...
9:42am Wed 14 Dec 11

We have been warned that there are difficult times ahead. This is just the start. The money has gone and unless the country can create private jobs that can boost exports we will have even less. Jobs in shops selling imports don't solve our problems. We have sold all our assets, spent the money and then started living on debt. The debt has to be paid.

Report this post »

Cash Cow says...
10:39am Wed 14 Dec 11

I drove down Grand Parade this morning and noticed a portaloo hut placed in the crusty campsite, courtesy of the very kind taxpayers. I would imagine these facilities are very clean and tidy inside because judging by the disgraceful mess which was Victoria Gardens, it appears they most likely have never been used.
If Her Majesty Queen Victoria was to take a look over her shoulder I think she would be "Not Amused".

Report this post »

Archie Bun says...
1:33pm Wed 14 Dec 11

I expect the cruisers will complain.

Report this post »

Captain Gardiner says...
5:11pm Wed 14 Dec 11

These closures will be the urination of me.

Report this post »

whereisthe...? says...
1:40am Thu 15 Dec 11

Oh I'm so sick of the idiot minority always trying to blame Labour for economic trouble!

TAKE 5 SECONDS TO SEARCH GOOGLE RE WORLD RECESSION FACTS AND STUDIES - Proof will show lax rules re banking STARTED by Thatcher and Reagan continued, since Tories prevented Brown's banking reform, with Bush's Free-market 'reform' the final nail in the coffin.

This is not a matter for debate - It has been established as FACT by both left-wing / right-wing M.P'S / bi-partisan committees / economics proffessors / business experts / scientific studies / economics experts / IMF heads, and admitted by heads of some of the MAIN companies responsible for the collapse, fiddling figures etc (e.g, Lemahn brothers, etc).


Get your heads out of your 'you know whats' and LEARN!! Get off your lazy ars*es (fear of Argus censoring(!) and try using FACTS!!


The moment you start trying to blame Labour you simply label yourselves as a bunch of scare-mongering, lying, pathetic, lazy, xenophobic blinkered idiots!


About time you realised that you and your toff Tory pals have run this country into the GROUND and we won't stand for it anymore. Your time has come. It begins with TRUTH!! No more class warfare on those beneath you.

Report this post »

whereisthe...? says...
2:01am Thu 15 Dec 11

By the way...

Tories scapegoat immigrants...

http://www.guardian.
co.uk/commentisfree/
2010/aug/16/immigran
ts-ice-cream-sharks

Tories punish poor, leave top to profit...

http://www.guardian.
co.uk/business/2011/
may/16/high-pay-comm
ission-wage-disparit
y

Tory privileged backgrounds revealed...

http://www.guardian.
co.uk/politics/2011/
oct/01/george-osborn
e-bullingdon-club-ch
ancellor

Tory old boy network largely responsible for crash still protected and hidden...

http://www.guardian.
co.uk/uk/2011/oct/31
/corporation-london-
institution-big-busi
ness

Non-political comment slams recent unprecedented rich - poor divide gap widening...

http://www.guardian.
co.uk/world/2011/nov
/17/new-york-bishop-
occupy-wall-street


Rich - poor gap divide since Victorian times under Tories...

http://www.guardian.
co.uk/society/2011/d
ec/05/income-inequal
ity-growing-faster-u
k

Tory 'true' beliefs come out...

http://www.guardian.
co.uk/politics/2011/
dec/11/tory-mp-regre
ts-nazi-slogans

Poor targeted by cuts over wealthy...

http://www.guardian.
co.uk/society/2011/n
ov/11/social-care-cu
ts-unlawful-court

Banking successfully commercialised at expense of poor, Tories now aim for NHS...

http://www.guardian.
co.uk/politics/2011/
nov/12/care-private-
company-nhs-hospital


Real rulers of Tories (big business) revealed...

http://www.google.co
m/hostednews/ukpress
/article/ALeqM5jyRZu
5UN8QDd-ZbkOcQairZI3
Maw?docId=N027575132
3126648855A


Don't like the sources? Like I said, take 5 seconds to check Google. All are confirmable against many other multiple sources (many even also reported in Tory bible 'The Sun'!)

This is a BRIEF example summarising some of the MOUNDS of evidence available.


Now let's see a Tory REALLY debate on the issues rather than some predictable lame assumed personal comments... (ie, unlikely, since there IS no argument).

Report this post »

Bladesboy Returns says...
5:33am Thu 15 Dec 11

whereisthe...? wrote:
By the way...

Tories scapegoat immigrants...

http://www.guardian.

co.uk/commentisfree/

2010/aug/16/immigran

ts-ice-cream-sharks

Tories punish poor, leave top to profit...

http://www.guardian.

co.uk/business/2011/

may/16/high-pay-comm

ission-wage-disparit

y

Tory privileged backgrounds revealed...

http://www.guardian.

co.uk/politics/2011/

oct/01/george-osborn

e-bullingdon-club-ch

ancellor

Tory old boy network largely responsible for crash still protected and hidden...

http://www.guardian.

co.uk/uk/2011/oct/31

/corporation-london-

institution-big-busi

ness

Non-political comment slams recent unprecedented rich - poor divide gap widening...

http://www.guardian.

co.uk/world/2011/nov

/17/new-york-bishop-

occupy-wall-street


Rich - poor gap divide since Victorian times under Tories...

http://www.guardian.

co.uk/society/2011/d

ec/05/income-inequal

ity-growing-faster-u

k

Tory 'true' beliefs come out...

http://www.guardian.

co.uk/politics/2011/

dec/11/tory-mp-regre

ts-nazi-slogans

Poor targeted by cuts over wealthy...

http://www.guardian.

co.uk/society/2011/n

ov/11/social-care-cu

ts-unlawful-court

Banking successfully commercialised at expense of poor, Tories now aim for NHS...

http://www.guardian.

co.uk/politics/2011/

nov/12/care-private-

company-nhs-hospital



Real rulers of Tories (big business) revealed...

http://www.google.co

m/hostednews/ukpress

/article/ALeqM5jyRZu

5UN8QDd-ZbkOcQairZI3

Maw?docId=N027575132

3126648855A


Don't like the sources? Like I said, take 5 seconds to check Google. All are confirmable against many other multiple sources (many even also reported in Tory bible 'The Sun'!)

This is a BRIEF example summarising some of the MOUNDS of evidence available.


Now let's see a Tory REALLY debate on the issues rather than some predictable lame assumed personal comments... (ie, unlikely, since there IS no argument).
I think that if you removed your red glasses you would see that Blair and Brown have presided over the period where today's economic foundations were built. You reap what you sow red boy and this crop will be the most unpleasant one for a long. long time.

However a few tents erected in a squat will make all the difference...LOL

Report this post »

whereisthe...? says...
2:40pm Thu 15 Dec 11

Yep, typical Tory response - ignore all the evidence by not even commenting on it... predictable I guess!

Report this post »

Bladesboy Returns says...
7:41am Sat 17 Dec 11

whereisthe...? wrote:
Yep, typical Tory response - ignore all the evidence by not even commenting on it... predictable I guess!
I think that if you removed your red glasses you would see that Blair and Brown have presided over the period where today's economic foundations were built. You reap what you sow red boy and this crop will be the most unpleasant one for a long. long time.

However a few tents erected in a squat will make all the difference...LOL

Report this post »

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