Toilets

Toilets, after dogs, the one subject area that as a councillor I try to steer well clear of, but the plans of the Tory led Cornwall Council to close the majority of public toilets in Penzance will be moving this most contentious of areas to the top of the political agenda for some little while I fancy.

This could well turn the Battle of Battery Rock into nothing but a small skirmish, in the Tory led Cornwall Councils flapping around to cut as many services as it feels it can get away with, this could well be the one that will be remembered and lead to their downfall.

In Penzance the plan is to close EIGHT (8), yes you read that correctly, they plan to close 8 public toilets, this number is only matched by St Ives with 7, it makes you wonder what we have done to upset them.

As a comparison our capital Truro 4, the largest town in Cornwall St Austell 1, Camborne, Redruth And Pool  3 between them, Falmouth 1. In total the plan is to close 114 of the 248 public toilets in Cornwall. I’m so pleased we are all in this together, but even more so in the west.

I will not list here the full list but one that I will comment on the one listed as ‘Superloos’, to those not familiar with Penzance these are the toilets in the block at the Bus Station, Railway Station and Harbour Car Park also known as ‘The Transport Interchange’, right next door to the abandoned Tourist Information Office closed by the Tory Led Cornwall Council, so whether you come to Penzance by Train, Bus or Car you will be welcomed, well actually you won’t be, by closed toilets and  Tourist Information Office.  

The Tory led Cornwall Council hopes that the towns and parishes will take over the running of the toilets proposed to be closed, on the figures listed by the Tory led Cornwall Council without cleaning costs, the cost to Penzance Town Council would be £87,527.91 now that would really blow a very large hole in the towns (in comparison with the Tory led Cornwall Councils) budget or we would have to raise the council tax, but you have already paid for this service once to the Tory led Cornwall Council, so in effect you would be paying twice, the same applies to even the smallest parish council losing the only public toilet in the village, the cost to them will still be a very high proportion of their budget, I’m so pleased we are all in this together.

I’m sure I will be writing about this again, until then keep them crossed.