Council toilet scheme fails to bowl over pub landlords

Published on Tuesday 14 September 2010 17:36

FOR years pubs and shops have warned off desperate visitors looking to relieve themselves with signs proclaiming "customer toilet only".

And today they proved reluctant to embrace a suggestion by city council leader Jenny Dawe that they could fill the gap left by the planned closure of half of the Capital's public toilets.

Fifteen of Edinburgh's 30 public conveniences have been earmarked for closure to save up to 413,000 a year.

The council is drawing up plans to persuade pubs, restaurants and shops to step in by offering incentives to put up signs saying their own toilets are open to the public. The "community toilet" idea has been inspired by schemes in the London suburbs.

But pub landlords and business leaders in Edinburgh today questioned the council's plans.

Graham Bell, spokesman for Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, said the Votadini cafe had stepped in to offer the public the use of its facilities in the East Lothian village of East Linton, but added: "That is a very different set of circumstances because East Linton is small and quiet, whereas Edinburgh is a busy capital city.

"For a capital city to cut itself down to only 15 public toilets seems to me an underprovision of what is a basic necessity."

Council chiefs are assessing the success of two community toilet schemes in the London districts of Richmond and Lambeth. In Richmond, 70 businesses take part in a scheme where they are paid 600 a year by the council, while Lambeth has just set up a scheme offering an incentive of 1000 a year.

One option being considered in Edinburgh is offering firms reduced business rates.

Cllr Dawe suggested businesses could benefit, saying: "It can suit their purposes too, because people may choose to shop with them."

Patrick Browne, chief executive of the Scottish Beer And Pub Association, said: "The issue is that people need to keep control of their premises and if you have people constantly wandering in and out that is very difficult."

Claire Murray, of Age Scotland, said: "For a city the size of Edinburgh, with an ageing population, 15 public toilets seems very few."