Think-tank's advice on toilets at odds with plan to scrap city loos

AN influential Government committee has spoken out against the closure of public toilets – just as Derby is planning to scrap all of its loos.

MPs on the communities and local government committee said councils should be forced to draw up annual public toilet strategies to stem a decline in provision and quality.

It also warned councils to stop using laws designed to help disabled people as an excuse for tearing down old lavatories.

In its recommendations to the Government, it calls for improved signs, with a nationally-recognisable symbol, leaflets and website information about public toilets' locations, opening times and costs.

The report concluded that no toilet should be closed unless there was "a strong case for it and after extensive consultation".

Councillor Joe Naitta, a member of Derby City Council's cabinet of senior councillors, which took the decision to close 10 public toilets in the city, said he wanted to see toilets looked after properly but that had not been the case.

"The toilets have suffered for years from a lack of investments and now they are in such a poor state that they have to be closed," he said.

"As far as consultation is concerned, the proposal to close these toilets was something the previous Labour council had drawn up and it had undertaken the consultation."

The cabinet is made up of Lib Dem councillors from the authority's ruling group.

It will have to look again at the decision after it was referred back when a group of councillors said there was no direct evidence of public consultation.

Labour group leader Chris Williamson has been campaigning against the proposed toilet closures in Derby and started the campaign Leave Our Loos Alone.

He said: "I agree with the committee's recommendations.

"It is true that officers brought a report to us suggesting the closure of toilets but it is something we rejected and said we should be maintaining them and keeping them open. I think closing a public toilet should be a very last resort.

"Instead of closing them, we wanted to pursue ideas like talking to businesses within the city's business improvement district to see if they would be prepared to invest in the maintenance of public toilets at all.

"We have had huge support for the campaign to keep the toilets open and I think this committee's recommendations shows that public toilets are vital to a city."