1. Art and Diseño

1.
REPORT TO:
Employment, Business and Investment Scrutiny
Committee
REPORT NO:
HAED/10/15S
DATE:
4 February 2015
LEAD MEMBER:
Councillor Neil Rogers
(Economic Development and Regeneration)
CONTACT OFFICER:
Peter Scott (Tel: 292405)
SUBJECT:
Town Centre Conveniences
WARD:
Smithfield, Grosvenor, Maesydre and Offa
PURPOSE OF THE REPORT
To consider options for the future operation and opening of Wrexham town centre
public conveniences.
2.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
2.1
The detail of this report has previously been considered by Corporate Land and
Buildings Strategy Group on 4 November 2014, when the importance and operation of
the five town centre public conveniences, located at Bodhyfryd (Waterworld car park),
Albion, Henblas Street, the People’s Market and King Street Bus Station was
considered.
2.2
Corporate Land and Buildings Strategy Group agreed to a number of
recommendations, including the improvement and extension of the facilities at
Henblas Street to create modern female/male disabled facilities. To close the public
toilets situated at Waterworld car park once Henblas Street reopens. It was also
recommended that the opening hours of the Albion toilets should reduce and that a
twenty pence charge should be implemented once facilities have been improved,
starting with Henblas Street. It was also agreed to employ a Cleaner/Attendant at the
Henblas Street toilets;
2.3
This report explains how the provision of town centre public toilets supports wider
objectives of the Council and supports the town centre economy. It also identifies
some of the recent problems and proposes a range of options intended to address
these issues.
3
RECOMMENDATIONS
3.1
That the Employment, Business and Investment Scrutiny Committee recommend
a preferred option for future of town centre conveniences to the Executive
Board.
REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS
To enable the council to effectively manage the Wrexham town centre toilets as directed.
Background Information
4.1
Public toilets matter to everybody, regardless of their age,ethnic origin, gender, ability. They
are even more important to certain sections of our society, including older people, disabled
people, women, families with young children and tourists. Public access to toilets is important
for local shops and businesses too. People respond to locations that demonstrate a sense of
civic pride, where it is obvious that they are welcomed. Tourists choose their destinations
carefully, drawing on their previous impressions, talking to friends and family, looking up
feedback on the internet. The work that is being undertaken by this Council and partners on
Destination Management links to this. The sense of destination – the extent to which it has met
a visitor’s needs and made a strong and positive impression – is therefore vital to secure repeat
trade and sustainable economic development in the town centre.
4.2
The Public Health Act 1936 gives local authorities a power to provide public toilets. However,
it imposes no duty to do so. This lack of compulsion, together with a perception of nuisance
associated with managing them, has arguably resulted in a steady decline in the provision of
public toilets in recent years in some other local authority areas.
4.3
Nationally, many organisations are campaigning for better provision of public toilets. It’s
difficult to see how this desire can be aligned with dwindling public sector finances. The
British Resorts and Destinations Association (BRADA) highlights the importance of good
quality public toilets for tourists and other visitors, who make a crucial contribution to many
local economies. The National Organisation of Residents’ Association (NORA) points out the
negative impact on residents where lack of good provision results in street fouling, an
increasing problem because of extended licensing laws. Help the Aged and other groups stress
the importance of public toilets to give older people the confidence to leave their homes and to
avoid problems arising from isolation and dependency. There is a strong lobby fighting for
equal rights for disabled people, including the Changing Places Consortium, which has
developed and introduced public toilets that are accessible to severely disabled people.
4.4
Other campaigners work to readdress the inequality of provision for women, arguing that, for a
variety of reasons, there should be a 2:1 ratio in favour of women’s toilets, whereas current
provision is 1:1 or significantly worse. The British Toilet Association is a campaigning group
with 160 members, of whom 61 are local authorities, and promotes the “Loo of the Year”
awards to recognise and reward excellence in public toilets.
National Guidance
4.5
The Government’s Strategic Guide on the provision of public toilets, “Improving Public
Access to Better Quality Toilets” was published in March 2008. The guide highlights existing
powers at the disposal of local authorities that can be used to improve public access to toilets.
4.6
There is a wide range of detailed information and guidance on all areas concerned with the
provision of public toilets, including location, design and signage: the Government’s strategic
guide is a general overview about the provision of public toilets; the BTA has a list of
recommendations and a comprehensive website; and British Standards BS8300 and BS6465
both provide codes of practice for the design of sanitary facilities and scales of provision.
4.7
The British Standard Institute memorandum describes the proposed British Standard BS6465
Part 4, which is based on the current Annex C of BS6465-1:2006, and provides a
comprehensive standard for providers of public toilets, which takes into account physical
(spatial/geographical) distribution issues, user requirements and design considerations (taking
into account the Single Equality Duty 2010) and practical, economic and management issues.
Public toilets and other policy priorities
4.8
Enabling different people, with different needs, to make use of public toilets can impact on
issues like public health, public behaviour and use of public transport. The town centre toilets
link to the Council plan in the context of the strategic themes of Economy (E1) where people
want to live, work and visit.
4.9
Social equality and inclusion: a lack of clean, accessible and safe toilets impacts on some
people more than others. Some people may feel unable or reluctant to leave their homes and
visit areas where they fear they will not be able to find a public toilet. Older people (a growing
section of the population in our ageing society), mothers, fathers, and carers with young
children, disabled people and people with chronic health problems – all need easy access to
suitably equipped public toilet facilities. The Single Equality Act 2010 places additional
responsibilities on public authorities in relation to accessible facilities for all Protected
Characteristics, specifically for this report; Age, Disability, Sexual Orientation, Gender,
Religion and Belief and Pregnancy and Maternity.
4.10
Healthy Communities: - a lack of toilet facilities at the right time in the right place contributes
to dirty streets that are unsanitary and unpleasant. A lack of available and appropriate facilities
at the right time during the day and night encourages street fouling, and cleaning up the mess is
a significant and costly task - especially at the weekend.
4.11
Cleaner, safer, greener communities: public toilets that are badly designed, badly
maintained, and poorly located generate a sense of neglect, attracting vandalism, anti-social
behaviour and social disorder.
4.12
Destination Management; a positive visitor experience is vital. These issues, if not tackled
effectively, can generate a cycle of decline, leading to more entrenched social problems, and
seriously impairing quality of place and quality of life for local people.
4.13
Sustainable Transport: People are being encouraged out of their cars and onto public
transport, cycling and walking. However, people will not leave their cars at home unless they
are confident that they can find a toilet at public transport interchanges and in city centres.
4.14
Disabled people, too, need to know that transport facilities, services and infrastructure will be
accessible. Inclusive Mobility, the Department for Transport’s guide to best practice on access
to pedestrian and transport infrastructure, stresses the need for toilets to be no less accessible
for disabled people than for non-disabled people.
4.15
There are around 10 million disabled people in Great Britain, and disability rates increase with
age. The Single Equality Act 2010 requires service providers to make ‘reasonable adjustments’
to allow disabled people to access these services. This is why the Changing Places Initiative
outlined in paragraph 5.32 of this report is important.
Town Centre Public Conveniences
4.16
The Assets and Economic Development Department currently has responsibility for
eight public toilets in the County Borough, including five in Wrexham Town Centre;
Female
Disabled
Sun
7.30 am
6.00 pm
7.30 am
6.00 pm
Closed
Closed
4
4
1
7.30 am
7.30 am
24 hours
6.00 pm
24 hours
7.30 am
6.00 pm
24 hours
Closed
Closed
4
-
4
4
2
1
6.00 am
6.00 pm
7.00 am
6.00 pm
Closed
Closed
2
4
1
9.00 am
4.30 pm
9.00 am
4.30 pm
Closed
Closed
2
5
1
Open
Waterworld
Car Park
Albion
Henblas
Street (Ladies
only)
King Street
Bus Station
People’s
Market*
Sat
Male
Mon-Fri
Close
Open
Close
Open
Close
4.17
In addition to the Council’s provision of five public conveniences, there are many other
toilet facilities in the town centre that can be used by the public. Toilets at Stations,
Supermarkets, restaurants and cafes etc. Eagles Meadow has two free, publicly
accessible conveniences. These are in addition to the facilities provided by
Debenhams and Marks and Spencer for their customers.
4.18
There are also toilets for public use, provided as part of the Community Toilet Scheme
(CTS) at the Horse and Jockey public house and Central Station. Payment of £500
p.a. to each provider is made by Welsh Government. There are also numerous toilets
in bars, restaurants and coffee shops for the use of customers. On the basis of this
evidence it must be concluded that there is considerable provision of toilet facilities in
the town centre.
Current Costs/Budget
4.19
Operating costs of each of the five conveniences is not transparently clear. The cash
limited budget for 2014/15 is shown for three of the five conveniences at £15,959.
Clearly, this is an unrealistic financial provision and is not reflective of the actual costs
incurred. Actual Expenditure in 2013/14 for Albion, Bodhyfryd and Henblas Street was
£30,161.
4.20
Based on the figures for the three toilets for which costs are available, it appears that
cleaning costs circa £8,000 - £13,000 for each convenience, - totalling approximately
circa £40-65,000 overall for the five facilities.
4.21
A full breakdown of running costs for the Henblas Street, Albion and Bodhyfryd
conveniences in 2013/14 is attached to this report as Appendix 1. As indicated above,
the running costs of each convenience are between £8,000 and £13,000 p.a. which
includes cleaning, NNDR (National Non-Domestic Rates) and utility costs. There is no
budget breakdown for the facilities at King Street Bus Station or the People’s Market
as these costs are absorbed into the wider running costs of those facilities. It would
seem reasonable to assume that the costs of cleaning, NNDR and utilities will be
broadly similar to the three facilities where costs are known. In addition, the facilities
are subject to vandalism. In 2013/14 around £4,000 was spent on repairs. These costs
are met separately from the Assets and Economic Development department’s repair
and maintenance budget. Therefore, the total estimated cost in 2013/14 of operating
the five town centre conveniences run by this Council is approximately £60,000 p.a.
4.22
Moving forward, work will be undertaken to identify and isolate actual costs of all
conveniences located with the town centre to identify true costs.
4.23
Comparative costs to evidence that town centre toilets are being run effectively are difficult to
obtain. The ongoing costs of maintaining public toilets vary, depending on the type of public
toilet, whether it is attended and level of use. The House of Commons Communities and
Local Government committee report ‘The Provision of Public Toilets Twelfth Report of
Session (2007–08)’ quotes a business called Healthmatic—a company that designs,
supplies and maintains public toilets in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It states: “Average
cleaning is around £8-10k per loo, £1000 on consumables, £1,000 on NNDR and capital
charges, building repairs, and other costs will vary.” Older facilities need to be updated, to
comply with health and safety, and disability legislation. The BTA quotes the figure of £25,000
to £40,000 per year for the cost of maintaining an attended facility. To provide attendants for a
public toilet open ten hours a day, seven days a week would require three staff at a salary cost
of around £29,000, according to Healthmatics based on costs in 2008.
Minimum Standard of Public Toilet Provision
4.24
Due to limited resources there has not been any significant capital and revenue
programme designed to bring the Wrexham Town Centre toilets up to a suitable
standard.
4.25
It is recommended that a minimum standard for all town centre public toilets is
adopted; If possible the following features should be incorporated:





Baby Changing facilities – either in a shared common location or in both male
and female toilets;
Energy conservation measures – including automatic taps/flushes and lighting;
In unattended locations, stainless steel fitments, subject to appropriate regular
electrical earth-bonding testing; ceramic furniture if facilities are staffed;
Time-activated locks on unattended facilities, to maximise operating hours
without requiring additional staff time;
Plugs which cannot be detached – or a reduced water temperature to remove
the need for plugs at all;







Hooks for bags/coats in each cubicle;
There should be standard public toilet signage across the County Borough
(possibly using symbols rather than text to allow for universal recognition,
irrespective of language);
Additional visible, clear signs for existing public toilets, detailing such information
as opening hours and location. Information about public toilet facilities and
locations should also be provided in promotional leaflets for both locals and
visitors and on local authorities’ websites;
They should follow the relevant British Standard guidelines, ensuring that their
provision covers the needs of women as well as men. The parliamentary select
committee recommended that local authorities aim to provide a ratio of 2:1 public
toilet provision in favour of women;
Disabled provision to allow as much room as possible (subject to the optimum
space standards of BS8300), utilising colour contrast throughout and with easyuse levers on taps and doors and, ideally, a pull-down shelf;
Adequate provision of both sanitary and general waste bins; and
The standardisation, as far as is possible, of all furniture and fittings, in all
conveniences, would make maintenance easier, possibly cheaper, and minimise
the closure of facilities for repair works.
Anti-social behaviour
4.26
There is much evidence of anti-social behaviour and inappropriate use of Wrexham
Town Centre public toilets. There are also significant issues with the homeless, who
seek shelter in the toilets, especially in the winter months. The toilets in the People’s
market closed between February and October 2014 as a result of sustained misuse
and anti-social behaviour. As a result, people are avoiding town centre toilets as they
feel that they are unsafe to use. In addition, some of the measures adopted to try to
deal with the problems, such as the use of blue lights to deter drug users, or sharps
boxes for needle disposal, further alarm the general public who, quite naturally, prefer
not to share space with people who use public toilets as a base for drug use. Other
towns and cities have found that introducing charges for use – and / or providing toilet
attendants reduces vandalism and miss-use and can help the community regain
confidence in public toilets. These options and the issues relating to them are explored
further in subsequent paragraphs.
Options going forward
4.27
It is recommended that a sequence of options and decisions are considered. The first
two decisions relate to whether the Wrexham Town Centre conveniences should
remain in their present form. The third option relates to a policy on charging. The
fourth option relates to the provision of attendants. After the four options are
considered there is a table summarising proposals and recommendations. The final
option relates the possible extension of the Community Toilet Scheme. That said, the
status quo in respect of the Council’s provision of town centre public conveniences is
not a sustainable position, because budget pressures and also because it will be
increasingly difficult to compete with other towns and retail environments without
improving the physical fabric and appearance of these facilities. Public toilets need to
be clean, well maintained and feel safe. Currently these outcomes are not being
achieved. There is no capital provision identified to undertake works and therefore
difficult decisions may have to be taken if these facilities are to be improved within
fixed or reduced budgets.
Option 1 - To continue to keep all five toilets open or select some town centre
toilets for closure
4.28
The revenue budget for Town Centre toilets was overspent in 2013/14 by
approximately £14,000 and is projected to be overspent by a similar amount in
2014/15. Savings are necessary in order to bring the costs in line with the cash limited
budget. In addition, some of the Council’s public conveniences are not situated in the
best locations. In the years since they first opened, pedestrian flow around the town
centre has changed as has customer expectations.
4.29
Fiscal pressure and changes in footfall patterns suggest that consideration must be
given to the rationalisation & closure of some facilities to create savings in the revenue
budget and fund additional cleaning. It is therefore proposed to;


close the facility at Bodhyfryd. This would save an estimated £9,000 p.a.
immediately running costs. Liabilities for the NNDR and standing charges for
water and electricity would continue to be incurred; Demolition would save a total
of £13,000 p.a
reduce the opening hours at Albion to 18 hours a week from 8pm until
approximately 2am/3am, on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. This will support the
night time economy. Reduced opening would immediately save the cost of four
days cleaning and utility costs. In theory it will also reduce repairs from
vandalism. Any savings could contribute to employing a Door Supervisor/
attendant, - creating a safer and more pleasant facility. However, this plan needs
to be flexible, given that there is a proposal emerging to situate an alcohol
Treatment Centre at this location. Wrexham had an Alcohol Treatment Facility in
temporary bases in 2013 and 2014 during the busy festive periods which were run
on a multi-agency basis with partners from, This Council, North Wales Police,
Health Street Pastors, British Red Cross etc. The success of the treatment centre
in reducing the demand on public sector organisations during the busy period (e.g.
Police, Accident & Emergency etc) have led to the proposal that a more
permanent base be found. This will be funded and operated on a multi-agency

basis. The aim is that this will be in place by Oct/Nov 2015 in time for the busy
Christmas period; and
the above closure of these facilities should be reviewed periodically. It is
recognised that varied opening times need to be accompanied by clear signage
that lists opening hours and gives details of of the nearest open toilet. ( see
comments from public consolation para 5.7.3) After a period of12 months and if
successful, The building at Bodhyfryd could be demolished and six car park
spaces created. However, the cost of demolition is estimated at £25,000, with the
reinstatement of the area as a car park costing an additional £5,000. A car park
space in this location generates £4 per day – an average of £800 p.a.per space, 6
spaces £4,800 p.a. Potentially this income could be diverted from car parks
budget to assist with the revenue costs of operating improved town centre toilets.
However, the proposals for the future of this location will be influenced &
determined by the direction of the Wrexham town centre master plan.
Rationale for proposed actions
4.30
It is recognised that closure of Bodhyfryd may be unpopular with some people.
Anecdotally, taxi drivers and driving instructors in particular use the Bodhyfryd facility
and would need to make alternative arrangements. However, there are publicly
accessible and supervised facilities in the near vicinity in Council owned premises at
Waterworld and the Memorial Hall. Both locations currently allow access, at
management discretion, although this is not widely promoted. The remaining facilities
at Albion, Henblas Street and the King Street Bus Station could be upgraded over a
three year period. Proposed Changes to the People’s market may change the public
toilet provision offered at that location. Exactly how they might be upgraded and
operated will be determined by the options considered further in this report. At
Henblas Street, Listed Building Consent would be needed to convert, what is, a grade
II listed building and any alterations proposed will need careful consideration and
appropriate design solutions and materials to ensure the significance of the building is
protected”.
4.31
The Attendant responsible for cleaning the bus station currently cleans at Bodhyfryd
and Albion. Once the opening hours of these facilities are reduced closed, resources
can be fully concentrated on the operation at the bus station. In addition, the overall
saving could be used as a contribution to part fund an attendant to supervise Henblas
Street.
Option 2 - Upgrade facilities or remain at current standard.
4.32
This option is not conditional on any revenue savings generated in option two. Whilst
all of the town centre toilets require refurbishment, it is proposed to begin with the
Henblas Street toilet block, because it is strategically positioned on a main pedestrian
route linking the West and East sides of the town. It is physically part of the General
market and has the floorspace available to extend the toilet accommodation and to
transform it into a flagship operation, providing modern facilities for both male and
female, in addition to providing a ‘Changing Places’ facility for people with disabilities.
(One Changing Places facility is already provided in Eagles Meadow) The
specification requirement of a ‘Changing Places’ facility ensures that there is sufficient
space for disabled people and their carers; they also have to have the right
equipment, including a height adjustable changing bench and a hoist. Having this toilet
provision in the ‘traditional;’ town centre would make a dramatic difference to the lives
of hundreds of people.
4.33
Additional floorspace.to accommodate this extended facility could be created by
closing perimeter stalls 1 and 2 in the General Market, and incorporating the space to
created extended toilet facilities. Access would of course, remain on Henblas Street.
Permission would be needed to convert, what is, a grade II listed building.
Theoretically, the loss of these two market stalls would result in a combined loss of
£7698 pa, to the income of the market. However, neither stall has been occupied for
any length of time in recent years. The upgrade of Henblas Street convenience would
take between 8 and 12 weeks and cost in the region of £100,000, potentially funded
from the capital reserve, created as part of the 2013/14 revenue out turn.
Option 3 - Charging
4.34
The concept of charging needs to be approached with a certain amount of care due to
the potential negative impact. However, with the alternative option being closure,
reducing costs and increasing income could make charging the only sustainable
option.
4.35
If charging is introduced, the entrance to the toilets will be controlled by a paddle gate
system located within the entrance area. The entrance and layout can be configured
to allow use of this facility without payment (entry to disabled toilet is via National Key
Scheme).
4.36
There are no figures available in respect of current usage. However, If it is assumed
that the town centre toilets have 200 users per day on average, and that a 20 pence
charge is made for using the toilets, it would potentially generate around £12k per
annum (£40 per day income x 300 days).
Negative impact of charges
4.37
There are many possible effects of charging on usage. Different groups are affected
by charging in different ways. For example, tourists are less price sensitive to toilet
charging than local people as they have little knowledge of the alternative provision.
4.38
For local people, the impact on introducing a charge will depend on the quality of the
facilities available. There is extensive evidence from other local authorities that people
are quite prepared to pay to use public toilets providing that they are clean, tidy and
safe.
4.39
Evidence from other local authorities generally suggests that overall usage will reduce
by 50% when a charge is introduced.
4.40
Local people may also question about having to ‘pay twice’ for toilets, once through
their ‘council tax’ and secondly at the door. The answer to this question will be to
improve the quality of the facilities and services being provided.
4.41
Taxi Drivers/Driving Instructors/Outdoor Market Stall Holders will also be affected.
This particular group of users generally consider that they should have free access to
toilet facilities and there may be a considerable amount of negative comment from this
group and there may be a marked decline in their usage.
Positive impact of charges
4.42
Evidence suggests that charging for toilets will result in lower anti-social behaviour for
the simple reason that vandals and drug abusers are less likely to pay to use the toilet
than regular users. The introduction of Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) to entrances
and lobby areas of public toilets should provide a further reduction in anti-social
behaviour. The toilets will therefore stay in a better condition through the introduction
of charging, thus helping to reduce costs and provide a better environment for genuine
users.
4.43
Successfully generating revenue will depend on a variety of factors, including the
price. The British Toilet Association (BTA) recommends a charge of 20p for most parts
of the UK outside of major cities. Tourists, with their relatively low price sensitivity
have the potential to provide the most income generation. However, as most toilets
are mixed use between visitors and locals, it would be prudent to consider the ratio of
users and the alternatives in the area. In general the BTA suggest a charge of 50p,
while a mixed use would command a charge of 20p. Whilst the toilets in the Town
centre are used extensively by tourists and visitors, introducing a charge of 50p may
be a step too far and a 20p charge would probably be far more acceptable.
4.44
One of the benefits of introducing the charge will be a net positive impact on operating
costs. Some of the costs are directly attributable to the number of users, for example
consumables, water, and maintenance requirements (wear and tear and vandalism).
Whilst there is not a direct correlation between the running costs and number of users
it is reasonable to assume that there will be a reduction in running costs and the fact
that unrestricted access is taken away and that people have to pay to use the
facilities, should result in a reduction in vandalism and anti-social behaviour.
Consequently, a reduction in ‘inappropriate’ use of the toilet facilities should result in
the amount of cleaning and maintenance that is required.
Option 4 – Attendants
4.45
All of the public toilets in Wrexham Town Centre are currently unattended. They are
opened, closed and cleaned by staff from the Assets and Economic Development
Department. Up until June 2006 the toilets were staffed by two full time attendants
who each worked 40 hours per week.
4.46
Between 2006 and Jan 2009 the toilets were staffed by one full time employee
working 37 hours per week.
4.47
Following retirement the toilet opening/cleaning duties were then carried out by the
Town centre Sweepers up until the toilets were transferred to Assets and Economic
Development.
4.48
If savings identified as option two are accepted and a charging policy introduced as
proposed in option three, sufficient savings and income could potentially be generated
to employ a full time Cleaner/Attendant, most likely to be graded at L02 within the
Council’s pay scale schedule. The Cleaner/Attendant would be based at the
refurbished Henblas Street facility. A eight hour day 9am- 5pm six days a week would
be proposed. One post would cover a maximum of 37 hours, whereas the opening
time would be 48 hrs per week. Cover for holidays and other absence could possibly
be covered by other staff associated with the wider town centre, such as Market
Attendants, depending on how the town centre staff are organised, going forward in
the future.
4.49
Ideally, an Attendant/Private Door Supervisors would look after the Albion toilets
during certain opening hours, to ensure safety. However, costs may be prohibitive and
it may not be possible to fund this on a permanent or regular basis. A Door Supervisor
for short periods at key times, as was provided over Christmas 2012, may be possible
within the provision of revised budgets. This will depend upon income and expenditure
going forward.
4.50
It must be pointed out that Attendants can play a role beyond keeping toilets clean and
well-stocked: they can also collect the fee from users (and provide change), assist
people with special access needs, and deter vandalism and inappropriate use.
Regularly inspected toilets can also help the community regain confidence in public
toilets.
4.51
The House of Commons Communities and Local Government committee report ‘The
Provision of Public Toilets Twelfth Report of Session (2007–08) quotes City of London
Corporation memorandum that highlights the extra costs connected with Staffed
facilities, but states: “In the City’s experience, however, the costs of staffing are on the
whole outweighed by the benefit of reduced costs in dealing with the effects of
vandalism and other examples of anti-social behaviour.
Option 5 - Extend the Community Toilet Scheme (CTS)
4.52
We could enhance our provision of public toilets in Wrexham Town Centre with a
Community Toilet Scheme. This would involve working with businesses across the
town centre to make more toilets available to the public across longer opening hours
and in more convenient locations.
4.53
The Welsh Assembly Government’s Community Toilet Grant Scheme needs local
authorities and local businesses such as pubs, post offices and shops, to work
together to provide cleaner, safer and more accessible toilets for the general public.
How does the Community Toilet Grant Scheme work?
4.54
The Community Toilet Scheme enables local businesses like pubs, restaurants and
shops, to work together with the council to make more clean, safe and accessible
toilets available to the public. All the businesses involved in the scheme would allow
non-customers to use their toilet facilities during their normal opening hours.
Participating businesses would display a sticker in the window, showing that the public
are welcome to use the toilet facilities without necessarily having to ask or make a
purchase. Currently, there are two businesses in Wrexham Town Centre that have
adopted the scheme:


Central Station, 15 - 17 Hill Street, Wrexham LL11 1SN
currently closed during the day but is due to re-open in the near future under the
new name of ‘The Waiting Room’, with new proprietors.
The Horse & Jockey, 32 Hope Street, Wrexham. LL11 1BG
9:00am - 11:00pm Monday - Saturday
9:00am - 12:00 noon Sunday It is not known at this stage whether either of the
above two premises will continue their participation in the Community Toilet
Scheme.
4.55
See a list of participating Community Toilet Scheme premises. Members of the public
can use toilet facilities during the premises opening hours and without the need to
make a purchase. Businesses have the right to refuse entry in exceptional
circumstances.
4.56
Participating premises will be required to keep their toilets safe, clean, accessible and
well-stocked. In return, businesses and organisations will receive up to £500 for taking
part.
4.57
There are some groups and individuals who might feel uncomfortable going into a pub
to go to the toilet. The scheme must cover a variety of outlets to ensure that toilet
facilities are available for a wide range of users, over a substantial part of the day and
night. The signage in respect of the CTS schemes needs to be extremely clear and
welcoming to the public. Currently it’s not, neither has it been well publicised in the
local media.
4.58
In considering the above options the Corporate Land and Buildings Strategy Group
meeting on 4 November 2014 ( HAED/19/14) resolved that recommend to Executive
Board to:
1
2
3
4
5
4.59
temporarily close the public toilets at Henblas Street and upgrade them to
provide modern female/male disabled facilities;
close and ‘mothball’ the public toilets located at Bodhyfryd (Waterworld car
park) once Henblas street reopens. This will save £16k annually in revenue
costs. The saving will fund an Attendant at Henblas street;
reduce opening times of the Albion toilets by closing them on Monday,
Tuesday and Wednesday each week. This will save money on cleaning and
security;
introduce a 20 pence charge for use of public toilet facilities in Wrexham Town
Centre, once they’ve been improved, starting with Henblas Street; and
employ a Cleaner/Attendant to staff the Henblas Street toilets;
If the remaining town centre toilets are kept as a public service The Assets and
Economic Development Department will try to find funding to improve each toilet in
turn. Options in respect of improvement will be evaluated. Potentially, moving forward,
a combination of savings and revenue generated from the 20p charge to improve King
street bus station toilets in 2016/17 and Albion in 2017/18
4.60
Policy Framework – A wide range of policy priority linkages is outlined in paragraphs
4.8 – 4.14. Enabling different people, with different needs, to make use of public toilets can
impact on issues like public health, public behaviour and use of public transport. The town
centre toilets link to the Council plan 2012-16 in the context of the strategic themes of
Economy (E1) where people want to live, work and visit.
4.61
Budget – Town Centre toilets were overspent in 2013/14 by £14,000 and are
projected to be overspent by a similar amount in 2014/15. Any savings made would
need to be retained in order to bring the costs in line with the cash limited budget.
Given the severe financial climate, Members need to be certain that investing in the
provision of town centre public conveniences, which is a discretionary service, is a
priority for the Council. More effort is needed in encouraging businesses in the town
centre to participate in the Community Toilet Scheme. However, if Members consider
that upgrading current facilities is a priority, this could be funded from the Capital
reserve which was created as part of the 2013/14 Revenue Outturn (HF/28/14).
4.62Legal –– any legal comments are referred to within the report.
4.63
Staffing – The proposal to staff Henblas Street conveniences with an
attendant/Cleaner would require the creation of a new full time post and the
amendment of the job descriptions of other staff.
4.64
Equality/Human Rights – Equality impact assessment AED/EIA00054/2014. Full
assessment not required.
4.65
Risks – 1. Capital costs of the works identified exceed those stated – mitigation;
effective project management, detailed design, procurement, and construction; 2.
Decline in footfall associated with introduction of charges, mitigation; effective
communications, promotion of a high quality product, with appropriate signage; 3.
Negative comments associated with closures and reduced opening hours.mitigation;
effective communication.
5.
CONSULTATION
5.1
To improve the understanding of people’s needs, extensive consultation was
undertaken between 15 December 2014 and 16 January 2015. A range of
organisations were consulted including AVOW, The Town Centre Forum, Wrexham
Business Group, Market Traders, Shopmobility users, Wrexham Over 50’s group,
the Reshaping Services Equality Group, the Wrexham Trans group, the Truckers
Toilets UK Campaign, Members of the British Toilet Association and Community
Councils
5.2
In addition, a Survey Monkey questionnaire was posted on Wrexham.com and the
Council website, to encourage as many people and groups as possible to be involved.
5.3
A summary of the responses from Survey Monkey are attached as appendix 2 A total
of 90 people responded. – Not everyone answered all of the questions, - some
questions were skipped.
5.4
There was a disappointingly low response to the on-line questionnaire from young
people, with only 2 people under 18 participating. The majority of people who
contributed (72%) were over 40 years old. Most people (76%) who responded
considered the standard of Council toilets in Wrexham town centre was either poor or
very poor. (Q8) A high percentage, (72%) considered that Wrexham town centre
toilets compared badly or very badly with those in other towns. A total of 68% (Q9)
rated cleanliness either poor or very poor. Paradoxically, 9% rated cleanliness as
good. A total (Q10) of 77.2% indicated that they felt the toilets were unsafe. Not
surprisingly in that context, a question about the proposed introduction of an Attendant
( Q11) gave a very positive response in favour, with 86.35% supporting the idea. The
final question (Q12) related to the introduction of a small charge. A total of 65 people
indicated that they were in favour, with 53 people indicating that they would be
prepared to pay a 20 pence charge with 7 indicating that a 30 pence charge would
be acceptable. The remaining 5 people were prepared to pay 50 pence. However, a
total of 27 people,(28% of people who completed the survey), indicated that they
would not prepared to pay a charge at all. Many in this group commented along the
lines that they considered they had paid already as Ratepayers.
5.5
Recognising specific needs of vulnerable customers of Shopmobility, a specific
questionnaire and link to the Survey Monkey was provided and given to users prior to
vehicle rental.
5.6
Offa Community Council wrote to welcome and support the proposals for
improvement. However, they indicated the need for the King Street toilets in particular
to be open on Sunday They also hoped that the refurbished toilets on Henblas Street
would also open on Sunday. Another comment made was the lack of facilities (apart
from the Albion) open in the evenings after 6pm. Commenting that in particular more
facilities for the disabled were needed in the evening.
5.7
Other comments from other groups and individuals indicated that;
1. Comment; Fees: 20p would seem a reasonable sum to pay for most people if this
means that toilets are clean and well maintained. That said those people needing
to visit a toilet more frequently for whatever reason - a medical condition or with a
child for example - may find going to the loo becomes expensive. However
charging a fee is more likely to reduce misuse as most vandals don't like to pay to
vandalise!
2. Comment; Car park toilets: Generally speaking having toilets in a carpark is
thought to be an ideal location. There is plenty of activity which deters vandals
and those arriving by car do not have to venture far for a toilet.
3. Comment; Varied opening times: These are fine as long as these are clearly
stated! Also the nearest open toilet facility should be clearly stated. There is
nothing more distressing than to finally locate a toilet in an unfamiliar area only to
find it's closed. 'Holding on’ contributes to bladder and bowel problems,
particularly in young children.
4 Comment; Attendants: These people are worth their weight in gold and many
receive deserved recognition at the Loo of the Year Awards <www.loo.co.uk >.
Having an attendant deters vandals, ensures facilities are clean and maintained
and contributes to general safety. Visitors always remember their toilet
experiences and a positive visit means they are more likely to return in the future which ultimately helps to boost the local economy.
5 Comment; The Arts Hub or Techniquest development of TJ Hughes. To proceed
with upgrading Henblas Street conveniences at this time may be premature.
Could toilets for the public be incorporated into either one or both of the new
facilities.
5.8
Consultation also took place with the town centre business community. Both the
Town Centre Forum and Wrexham Business Group. Were consulted on Tuesday 6
January 2015. The consensus of the groups was that payment for clean, nice toilet
provision was perfectly acceptable. There was only one voice against the proposals.
There was no objection to the closure of Bodhyfryd toilets.
5.9
The Managers of both Waterworld and the Memorial Hall expressed concern with
regard to the proposed closure of Bodhyfryd public toilets and the possible adverse
impact that the displaced anti-social behaviour may have on these premises.
5.10
One of the Council’s Strategic and Performance Directors has made a comment that
children should be free. Members may wish to consider this suggestion and decide
whether or not to support it.
6.
EVALUATION OF OPTIONS
6.1
Options are evaluated and explained in detail in the body of the report. However, in
summary;
Option 1 - To continue to keep all five toilets open-or select some town centre
toilets for closure
6.2
The revenue budget for Town Centre toilets was overspent in 2013/14 by £14,000 and
is projected to be overspent by a similar amount in 2014/15. Savings are necessary in
order to bring the costs in line with the cash limited budget. In addition, there are five
public toilets operated within half a mile radius. Some rationalisation is therefore
required.
6.3
Closure of Bodhyfryd would immediately save an estimated £9,000 p.a. in direct
operating costs. If eventually demolished circa £13,000 would be saved. There are
alternative publicly accessible facilities in the near vicinity. The Attendant responsible
for cleaning the toilets at King Street Bus Station currently cleans at Bodhyfryd and
Albion. Once the opening hours of these facilities are reduced resources can be fully
concentrated on the operation at the bus station. In addition, the overall saving could
be used as a contribution to part fund an Attendant to provide an on-site presence at
Henblas Street.
Option 2 Upgrade facilities or remain at current standard
6.4
Whilst all of the town centre toilets require refurbishment, it is proposed to begin with
the Henblas Street toilet block. This is because it is located on a strategic pedestrian
route linking the West and East sides of the town. It has the capacity available to
extend transform it into a flagship operation, providing modern facilities for both male
and female and disabled people
Option 3 - Charging
6.5
Introducing a charge will generate income and help balance the budget. It is
reasonable to assume that there will also be a reduction in running costs because
there should result in a reduction in vandalism and anti-social behaviour. The
reduction in ‘inappropriate’ use of the toilet facilities should result in the amount of
cleaning and maintenance required.
Option 4 – Attendants
6.6
All of the public toilets in Wrexham Town Centre are currently unattended. If savings
identified as option two are accepted and a charging policy introduced as proposed in
option four, sufficient savings and income could be generated to employ a full time
Attendant, based at the refurbished Henblas Street facility.
Option 5 - Extend the Community Toilet Scheme (CTS)
6.7
We should attempt enhance our provision of public toilets in Wrexham Town Centre
with a Community Toilet Scheme. This would involve working with businesses across
the town centre to make more toilets available to the public across longer opening
hours and in more convenient locations.
BACKGROUND PAPERS
Changing Places Toilets
LOCATION
Internet
WEBSITE INFO.
http://www.changingplaces.org/the_campaign
/what_are_changing_pla
ces_toilets_.aspx
Appendix 1
Toilet
ALBION TOILETS
Electricity
NNDR
Building Cleaning
Other Costs
Total ALBION TOILETS
BODHYFRYD TOILETS
Electricity
NNDR
Water
Building Cleaning
Total BODHYFRYD TOILETS
HENBLAS STREET TOILETS
Electricity
Gas
NNDR
Water
Building Cleaning
Cleaning Consumables
Other Costs
Staff Costs
Income
Total HENBLAS STREET TOILETS
TOTAL TOWN CENTRE TOILETS
2013/14
Expenditure
£
2014/15
Projected
Expenditure
£
2015/16
Proposed
Expenditure
£
1,848
2,830
4,901
66
9,645
2,000
2,885
6,359
0
11,244
1,000
2,950
3,180
0
7,130
1,283
2,366
3,960
4,900
12,509
1,500
2,413
3,000
5,953
12,866
0
2,462
500
0
2,962
255
281
510
1,999
4,926
0
36
0
8,007
210
266
520
2,365
6,425
0
0
0
0
9,786
500
500
530
2,400
0
500
1,000
16,000
-12,000
9,430
30,161
33,896
19,522
* 250 people per day @ 20p = £50 per day * 6 days per week = £300 * 40 weeks = £12,000.
*