Deputations/Petitions/Presentations/Questions
To consider any requests
received in accordance with Part 4, Section B, paragraph 29 of the
Council’s constitution.
Minutes:
Deputation
The Council received a deputation around the lack of
public toilet provision in Haringey on behalf of an organisation
called Loos for Haringey, who were linked to the Haringey Over 50s
forum. The deputation party was made up of: Patrice Wellesley-Cole;
Gordon Peters; Ceri Williams; and Dr John Miles. The following key
points of the deputation were noted:
- The lack of
clean, accessible public toilets trapped people at home and
prevented them from getting out and about. It was suggested that
one in five got out of the house less than they would like, because
of a lack of available toilets.
- Isolation and
loneliness for people over 50 was a major factor.
- Only around
33% of public toilets in London are accessible to disabled
people.
- The benefits
of improving public toilet provision were set out as: people
spending more time in Haringey shopping areas, businesses and
cafés; reducing social isolation in Haringey; improving
active lifestyles and tackling ill health.
- The
deputation party requested that a meeting with a nominated Cabinet
Member to discuss their concerns. They also requested that Haringey
developed a strategy for improving public toilet provision and
reported back on implementing this.
- Loos for
Haringey advised that they had interacted with LBH officers and had
met positive responses from the Ageing well partnership Board, but
that they were requesting that the Council adopt a joined-up
approach. Concerns were raised about particular areas of shut-off
toilets, such as at Turnpike Lane; those in poor condition, such as
at Chestnuts Park; and the lack of public toilet provision at
Tottenham Hale Retail Park.
The following arose in discussion of the
deputation:
- The Committee
sought clarification about what was being requested and also sought
the deputation party’s views on the use of toilets owned by
private businesses. In response, the deputation party advised that
they recognised the importance of the community toilet scheme and
the changing places scheme but the changing places scheme was only
for those with a disability. Therefore, there needed to be a more
joined up approach.
- The Committee
sought clarification about the proposed toilet strategy and how the
community could be engaged on this. The toilet strategy had a key
role in bringing all of the different strands together and to set
out how and when the Council would improve provision. The
deputation party commented that they were asking for a strategy
with mixed providers and one which provided toilets that were
geographically well spread around the borough.
- The Committee
commented on the need for different types of public toilets,
including specialist public toilet provision for disabled
children.
- The Committee
queried whether the deputation party was seeking the re-provision
of disused public toilets or whether new toilets should be provided
through planning requirements for future developments. In response,
the Committee was advised that as part of a joined up approach that
planning policy should play a role in provision of new public
toilets but what was missing was that nobody in the Council seemed
to be ...
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