PROBLEMS caused by the lack of public toilets in Longridge could be
solved by a local or
council takeover of the Berry Lane facility.
Longridge town councillors are considering this as
one option to answer local criticisms and concerns about the closure of
this central public convenience.
Visitors and regular
shoppers had complained there was “nowhere to go” particularly at the weekends.
Councillors
had learnt public knowledge of the Community Toilet Scheme was scant
and information about it was not prominent enough to enable people to
find out who was taking part.
The community scheme was launched throughout the Ribble Valley to cut costs for the borough amounting to £140,000.
The Berry Lane facility had been fully closed as it had high turn-out costs to maintain it and was also very run down.
The
Stonebridge toilet has been kept open and independently maintained and
the Market Place convenience mothballed to be opened and used on public
occasions.
But Terry Longden, head of engineering for Ribble
Valley council who attended last week’s meeting of the council to help
thrash out the problem and determine the future of the borough’s
facilities in the town, said his visit was timely.
He was in the
process of
conducting a review of the
community scheme operation, find
an answer to the problems and report back to the Community Services
Committee in November.
The new scheme had been slow to take off,
but he said that it seemed to be gaining more use throughout the
borough, while public convenience use was lessening.
Better
signage to shops and businesses in Longridge in the scheme, including
Sainsbury’s and Booths supermarkets, would help visitors and shoppers,
He
said he would also look at the demand and needs in Longridge, and find
out the costs of running the Berry Lane facility independently and, as
requested by Longridge council, whether it would be worth it.
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