Closing of Marple's Public Toilets

[bluebelly]

how much do you think it costs to clean and maintain the toilets?
is this info available?

[amazon]

Councillor Craig Wright:

The toilets in Marple Memorial Park in particular are well used and it is difficult to see where alternatives could be provided and there are no plans to close these toilets.

Answer: Co-op!!

(I obviously want the existing toilets to remain open)

close at 4 on sunday also now back of the cafe . NOT AGOOD IDEA .

[marveld]

Councillor Craig Wright:

The toilets in Marple Memorial Park in particular are well used and it is difficult to see where alternatives could be provided and there are no plans to close these toilets.

Answer: Co-op!!

(I obviously want the existing toilets to remain open)

[admin]

We were doing our best to look friendly too

Here's a reply received by Miss Marple from Councillor Craig Wright regarding the toilets. It's encouraging as far as it goes but for me it confirms the need to ensure that our local councillors understand the strength of feeling in the community about keeping the park toilets open and that they have our full support in trying to achieve that. There are not 3 viable places for Community Toilets within reasonable distance of the park (i.e. in the park) that are open 7 days a week and that really should be the end of the debate.
 

From: Craig Wright
Date: 3 May 2011 21:29:19 GMT+01:00
To: <Miss Marple>

Subject: Public Toilets in Marple

Thanks for your email and apologies for delay in replying.
 
It is no secret that the future of public toilets in the whole of Stockport is under review as part of the reduction in spending hitting all departments. Very few public toilets are left in Stockport as a whole, except in Marple, so any closure threat hits Marple acutely.
 
It's not just the cost of maintaining toilets. There is the cost of staff to open/close them, particularly at weekends and Bank Holidays; they are prone to being vandalised; they can be magnets for unsavoury goings-on, sexual, solvent and drug related and all of these have occured at Marple toilets; long-term significant capital will be required to revamp and upgrade existing toilets. Stockport is looking at a 'Community Toilet' scheme, similar to that which has been introduced in other parts of the country, pioneered in Kingston, Surrey. Under this scheme nearby cafes, pubs, public buildings, community buildings etc are paid an annual retainer to become a 'Community Toilet'. They have to maintain their toilets at a standard acceptable to the Council and they have to have a 'Community Toilet' sign welcoming visitors. There will also be finger-post 'Community Toilet' signs to the premises. In return the premises receive the annual payment. For any public toilet closed it is planned that there will be at least three replacement 'Community Toilets'.
 
No toilet that is in regular use will be closed until there are these replacement toilets. The toilets in Marple Memorial Park in particular are well used and it is difficult to see where alternatives could be provided and there are no plans to close these toilets.
 
So as far as the toilets in Marple go we have given a commitment that none will close until we have suitable replacements in place. And don't be fooled by opposition politicians saying glibly that they will keep all Marple's toilets open. Public toilets, where they exist at all, are under threat everywhere in Britain for reasons given above, under Councils controlled by every political party.
 
I hope the above answers your concerns. The debate on the future of public toilets will continue for some time to come and there are no easy answers.
 
Regards
 
Craig Wright   

[alison]

Mark and his 'crew' look a bit intimidating in that photo - I thought it was teenagers that were hanging around the park scaring people 

[Jay]

http://menmedia.co.uk/stockportexpress/news/s/1419706_campaigners-launch-save-our-loos-battle
Made it in to the papers!. Intresting reading, it says that they will close if 3 community toilets are found near by and goes on to say that the Middlewood toilets are closed with a sign directing people to a near by pub. Only lists the Marple Tavern not 3 toilets!

[My login is Henrietta]

I can't down load the petition and I haven't seen anyone waving one round in Marple but I'd like to sign. If I send you my details privately, Mark, could you forge my signature (oops, I mean, add me to the petition!)?

The most likely reason you can't download the petition is that you don't have Adobe reader installed on your pc. This is a free package available here: http://get.adobe.com/reader/

I could add your details to a petition sheet, or you could call in at Stationery Supplies next time you're in the centre of Marple.

Hmm. I have up-to-date Abobe reader. How odd. Thanks for the Stationery Supplies suggestion. I'll try there

[admin]

A new page was now been set up on the Friends of Marple Memorial Park web site about the potential closure of the park toilets:

http://www.marplememorialpark.org.uk/park-toilets.html

A photographer from the Stockport Express attended the FOMMP Task Day yesterday and we hope the campaign will receive some good publicity in the paper.

As yet Cllr. Bodsworth has not acknowledged receipt of the petition or letters sent on 28 April.

[admin]

Thank you Sarah! Another 80 from the Bowls Club today too 

[Stationery Supplies]

Stationery Supplies has just emailed over another 40 signatures, to add to the 120 we sent on Thursday!

We are still collecting if anyone wants to call in!

[Miss Marple]

Make that 500 I have just got another 20 

[admin]

This evening I have sent the first installment of the park toilets petition to Cllr Stuart Bodsworth (who I'm told by the Civic Society is the councillor responsible for the planned toilet closures across the borough), with copies to Cllr Martin Candler and to David Brayshay, who is Head of Parks and Recreation.

The petition contains 480 signatures so far, so a big thank you to everyone who has posted, emailed or pushed them through my letterbox!

I have also send to Cllr. Bodsworth copies of the following letters (you will need Adobe pdf reader to view these files):

Friends of Memorial Park letter: www.marple-uk.com/misc/FOMMP-toilets-letter.pdf

Marple Civic Society letter: www.marple-uk.com/misc/MCS-toilets-letter.pdf

Marple Bowling Club letter: www.marple-uk.com/misc/BC-toilets-letter.pdf

Cheadle & Gatley Bowls League letter: www.marple-uk.com/misc/Cheadle-GatelyBL-toilets-letter.pdf

Marple Community Council letter (to Stockport Times/Express): www.marple-uk.com/misc/MCC-Toilet-letter-to-STimes.pdf

Please keep collecting signatures and sending them to me and if you can please take the time to write write or email Cllr. Bodsworth to tell him (politely) how important you feel it is that the toilets in the park are not closed. If you do email please post a copy here or cc to info@marplememorialpark.org.uk

Cllr. Bodsworth's email address can be found on his web site underneath his photo: http://stuartbodsworth.mycouncillor.org.uk/

[admin]

I can't down load the petition and I haven't seen anyone waving one round in Marple but I'd like to sign. If I send you my details privately, Mark, could you forge my signature (oops, I mean, add me to the petition!)?

The most likely reason you can't download the petition is that you don't have Adobe reader installed on your pc. This is a free package available here: http://get.adobe.com/reader/

I could add your details to a petition sheet, or you could call in at Stationery Supplies next time you're in the centre of Marple.

[My login is Henrietta]

If you can help please download a copy of the petition form, print some off and collect as many signatures as you can. You can send them by post or, if you have the technology, scan them and send them to me by email. Details are on the bottom of the form.

www.marplememorialpark.org.uk/memorialpark/toilets_petition.pdf

Over to you folks  

I can't down load the petition and I haven't seen anyone waving one round in Marple but I'd like to sign. If I send you my details privately, Mark, could you forge my signature (oops, I mean, add me to the petition!)?

I have never had cause to use the loos but I firmly believe the village should keep as many facilities as possible, if only to encourage visitors and shoppers to come and spend money here.

[My login is Henrietta]

Still think the urilift is OK for the busy nights out in Marple   

http://www.urilift.com/news.php

I hope it has a safety device to prevent it being lowered when a client is in it