Minutes:
Public lavatories in Walworth:
Stephen Douglass introduced the item, reminding the meeting that the Council had no statutory requirement to provide public lavatories, however the Council works with developers through regeneration schemes to provide conveniences and works with local businesses to enable public access to their toilets. There are the following public lavatories:
· In the Elephant & Castle shopping centre
· Portland street (not open on Mondays)
· Dawe Street (not open on Sundays and Mondays)
· The Housing Office in Thurlow Street
· Cholmondley Gardens and the Tennis Centre
· The Cuming Museum
· The Walworth One Stop Shop
· Private businesses such as McDonald’s
The lavatories in Westmoreland Road were removed as they were not compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act, and were decaying. All the Council-run lavatories are compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act or close to other lavatories which are compliant. Section 106 funding and regeneration schemes should provide more facilities.
The following questions were asked:
· Norma said that on Saturdays the next lavatory after Elephant & Castle was at Camberwell Green; the Portland Street lavatory does not work, and there is no sign to show the nearest lavatory. Old people were afraid to go out as there are no lavatories available; the existing signs do not say when the lavatories are open. There should be a sign outside Morrison’s saying what the opening hours are. Stephen Douglass said that all lavatories should comply with the Disability Discrimination Act and have signs; he would arrange some additional signs
· Rebecca said that there were problems for parents when they were out with their children
· Mr Beadell said there was a problem with using private businesses’ lavatories, the Council pay them to provide facilities. Stephen Douglass said that many businesses would allow the public to use their lavatories, and sometimes this led to additional trade
· A resident said that foreign visitors had complained about the lack of public lavatories; in some foreign countries it is the law that anyone can use lavatories in bars and cafés. Stephen Douglass said he was talking to local businesses