By Isle of Wight Observer
Dear Editor,
The time has come for the IW Council to be held to account over the provision of public toilets.
At present there are pay-to-use toilets at the bottom of Avenue Road Slipway, in Sandown, which consists of a unit suppling three toilets, a disabled toilet and shower facilities to the side. There are no more public toilets anywhere along the seafront until you get just beyond Small Hope Beach, a distance of 1.8 miles.
We promote the Island as a great place to come for a holiday but don’t even provide the basic needs for visitors or residents. The beaches are packed in the summer, possibly a few thousand per day in the height of the season, many spending all day on the beach – I would certainly term that as an event. According to government guidelines for events lasting up to six hours, with no refreshments, a minimum of one portable toilet per 100 women and another toilet per 500 men, plus one urinal for 150 gents is required. Our three toilets and one disabled fall way short.
Now we are informed that the council has agreed that the toilets at Yaverland car park are to be replaced with a new unit costing £250,000, which the council will have to borrow the money for and repay over 12 years at a cost of £27,000 per year. A total outlay for three toilets and one disabled toilet of £324,000.
If the council really need to take out this loan, it would be much better spent by re-opening the toilets opposite the Pier and the ones on the Revetment (Lake). These could be upgraded along with the ones at Yaverland car park. If payment machines were attached to the cubicle doors the whole project would be more cost effective and greener for the planet.
Lyn Richardson, Sandown