Call for public toilet improvements

PORTISHEAD residents are calling for an improvement to public toilets in the town.

Speaking at the latest Portishead Town Council meeting, Ken Smith of Down Road said the toilets in Wyndham Way were a disgrace.

He said their condition made them unusable and could easily result in people choosing to shop elsewhere.

The complaint followed the delivery of a petition to Portishead Town Council by the senior citizens’ forum. The petition, signed by 55 residents, asked the council to be enthusiastic about taking over the toilets from North Somerset Council.

Portishead only has two public conveniences, the one at Wyndham Way and another at the Lake Grounds. Their cleanliness and general condition has long been a bone of contention among residents, as has the lack of public loos.

Portishead Senior Citizens Forum secretary Frank Derrick said: “We need more public conveniences, especially at the marina and we need those we already have to be open during the evenings.”

Clara Greed, who lives in Redcliffe Bay, agrees. She said: “Despite the rapid growth of the town, facilities like public conveniences seem to have been overlooked.”

Mrs Greed has been campaigning nationally for it to become a legal requirement for local authorities to provide adequate public toilets. She has been instrumental in a national e-petition which when it has 100,000 signatures will force the Government to debate the issue in parliament.

Portishead town councillors said they will be mindful of the issues raised if and when there is any future consideration of the town council becoming responsible for the public conveniences.

A North Somerset Council spokesman said: “Contractors clean the toilets in Wyndham Way every day and an area officer carries out random checks on them. In view of the recent complaints we shall be stepping up inspections and someone will visit them in the next few days.”