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Appendix A

COMMUNITY TOILET SCHEME UPDATE

Following the decision by the Cabinet Member for Environment to endorse the recommendations of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee in August 2009, officers embarked on developing the community toilet scheme for Maidstone Town Centre.

In total, 16 businesses signed up to the scheme including Marks & Spencer,  Fremlin Walk and the Royal Star Arcade and on 1 December 2009, the scheme was implemented and the three town centre public conveniences at Church Street, Palace Avenue and Fairmeadow were closed.  In addition, the facilities at Parkwood and Shepway were also closed in accordance with the Committee’s and Cabinet Member’s decision.

Very few complaints have been received and those were generally due to misinformation, i.e. that no alternative facilities were being provided.

The scheme has been well received and there have been one or two comments regarding the signing and this is currently being reviewed.  Initial views are that more signs are necessary close to the individual premises and the poster on the individual premise may need to be more prominent or made larger.

As well as street signing, the scheme is advertised on the Council’s website with a detailed map showing each premise and copies of the map are available at the Gateway and the Town Hall.

Concern was raised regarding the impact of the closures on needle finds and there was close liaison with the Police, Community Safety Unit and drug agencies regarding the changes.  Sharps boxes are installed in the Lockmeadow and Brenchley Gardens facilities but not in the community premises.  Numbers of needles found by our operatives or reported by the public are recorded and you will see from the attached spreadsheet that numbers were very low for December 2009, continuing a downward trend. This will continue to be closely monitored.

Discussions continue with parish councils regarding the six facilities in the rural area and final decisions will be made on the future of these in the very near future.  However, if a parish council does not wish to take over the facilities and no community facilities are possible, then the toilets will close on 31 March 2010.

Steve Goulette

27 January 2010