A public toilet block in Ryde could be shut down after anti-social behaviour issues and legionella risks.
The public toilets on St John’s Road – at the junction with the High Street and Green Street – face closure due to their position out of town.
New location being sought
At a Ryde Town Council meeting on Monday night, councillors agreed to look for a new public toilet located in the centre of the town and consult over the closure of the ones on St John’s Road.
Continually high legionella readings
Town council clerk, Lisa Dyer, said one of the reasons the council looked into closing the toilets was because of the continually high legionella readings, which meant they had to be closed.
The council understood it was happening because of the lack of water running through the system, leading them to believe they were not very well used.
Constant reports of anti-social behaviour
Ms Dyer said they were getting constant reports of anti-social behaviour, with the toilets blocked by needles, and people did not want to go in there.
The theory was, she said, if toilets were close to town, they would be more visible and easily managed.
More modern and centrally located toilets
The council’s facilities and assets sub-committee had agreed to close the toilets, once plans and costs had been worked out to provide toilets that were more centrally located and more modern.
Concerns raised by councillors, however, saw a change in decision.
Differing views
Ward councillor Karen Lucioni said she had never had a complaint made to her about the toilets and Cllr Les Kirkby argued they were used very regularly by older people making their way home from the shops back to Haylands.
Option to keep toilets open
It was agreed the matter would be discussed again at the facilities and assets sub-committee, with an option to keep the toilets open while providing a new public toilet provision in the centre of town.
Ryde Town Council will be taking on the cleaning of all of its public toilets from 1st October after receiving constant complaints the cleaning was ‘substandard’.
Article edit
9am 8th Sep 2022 – Corrected St John’s Hill to St John’s Road
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which News OnTheWight is taking part in. Some alterations and additions may have been made by OnTheWight. Ed
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