Having identified an overwhelming demand, Wilmslow Town Council has committed to providing a public toilet facility at the car park in The Carrs.
The initiative will prove to be their largest single capital project since the Council was formed in 2011, and has been on the wish list for some little time.
Having entered in to a formal tendering process in January, plans are well underway with the chosen contractor 'Healthmatic' to provide a facility which is expected to open this summer, subject to receiving all necessary consents.
Wilmslow Town Council has been working with Cheshire East Council to secure a suitable site and expects to submit a planning application over the coming days. The facility will consist of two unisex semi-automatic toilets, one being DDA compliant and a small refreshment kiosk. The toilet block will occupy three parking spaces to the rear of the car park.
The Town Council is anxious that the facility is well maintained, secure and financially viable. Therefore the buying will be have CCTV cameras installed which cover all elevations and they have incorporated a refreshment kiosk which will help provide security as well as an income stream. There will also be a 20p charge for using the toilets.
The overall cost of the project will be in the region of £108,000. This figure that will be met by a combination of section 106 monies* passed over by Cheshire East Council and money which has been earmarked by the Town Council from their reserves.
In providing the majority of the funding, Wilmslow Town Council will both own and maintain the facility and use the income to offset costs.
Councillor Martin Watkins, Chairman of the Town Council said "The Carrs is the busiest day to day recreational attraction in Wilmslow, receiving large numbers of visitors from the town and beyond on a daily basis and large peaks in visitors whenever the sun shines. The lack of nearby, alternative toilet provision readily available to young visitors, old visitors and those of us somewhere in between currently results in distress, frustration and often some rather unsatisfactory solutions.
"The Friends of the Carrs group has, for many years, felt there to be a need for toilets at the busy end of the Carrs. They have backed this up with significant evidence by talking to many of the varied park user groups and individuals; with the evidence of a desire to have such a facility and with evidence of a willingness to pay a small fee. This has helped the Town Council in the decision to invest in the project.
"As a Town Council we have seen other toilet blocks in the town closed down by the Borough Council and we are determined to learn lessons from these situations. With this in mind we have given great consideration to the specific demand at this site, the lack of alternatives, the security and surveillance of the site and the need for a sustainable financial model."
"We recognise that this is a substantial financial outlay that will be primarily borne by the Town Council and therefore local precept payers. As we have had to satisfy ourselves that the benefit will be widely felt and that we have secured good value over the lifespan of the facility, we believe that the facility will deliver on both fronts."
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
How soon before these toilets are also 'misused' and closed down?
How about opening up the original ones again closing them at dusk
Wake up to reality, PLEASE
Nick
What is to be built here allows us to control opening and closing times as needed. We have listened and taken advice on how best to address these concerns.
Pity that CE won't trust WTC with our money, to do what is right for Wilmslow. So slow......
CE can't even make a decision to return a removed litter bin in Wilmslow Park.
CE give WTC a chance!
What about the backs?
I have i missed something? its toilets on the Carrs? (highly used great public facility)
oh ...lets have a green paper...white paper....yellow paper......environmental impact paper......land survey....debates....meetings....minutes...more meetings....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
what a load of clap trap, box ticking bureaucracy! just get on with it!
It was our hope to offer something, if only an option. Our approach (27 October 2015) was unanswered.
I can't help feeling that even a public wc need not be bog standard.
Can i enquire just how hard Wilmslow council is pressing this matter with Cheshire East to get these toilets reopened. Or is Wilmslow Council just a paper Tiger.!!!
I would urge you to rethink the charge of 20p, mentioned in the article. Young children don't always give much notice of wanting to go to the loo, so scrambling about in your pockets for loose change whilst urging your child to 'hang on' is a real annoyance.
Is a 20p charge really necessary?
Many visitors arrive by car and are expected to pay for car parking, so why not the toilets? They have to be cleaned and maintained, after use by those prepared to pay the requisite fee.
In terms of what the kiosk will/ won't provide, that will be largely determined by the tenant and what they judge to be appropriate to make a living. I can see no earthly reason why that wouldn't involve hot drinks. It would definitely enhance my park going experience to be able to have a coffee whilst my son runs off (some!) of his excess energy. Can't believe I am alone in that.
Cllr. Angela McPake
I do believe that toilets are needed at the playground end of the Carrs, and agree with the proposal for WTC to investigate the various options. I like John Yakima have offered advise on alternative solutions, but this offer has never been taken up by any of the CEC for WTC councillors or WTC Town Clerk.
My understanding of the current proposal is that it will be a single unisex toilet (not toilets). I haven't seeing the forecasts on income from rent of the kiosk or charge for using the toilet. so am yet to be convinces of the viability of covering the forecast ongoing operational expenditure of the facility. I will just have to what and see. Hope it is financially successful but yet to be convinced it will be.
In terms of the maths, as I said, we are expecting the 20p's and kiosk lease to contribute to the running costs rather than covering it all. As no one can tell us definitely the level of use they will get, as we have never had toilets there before, there is an element of educated guesswork involved.
With regard to the 20p charge, I can understand the need for this, but I wonder whether it may be more popular to make this voluntary or discretional for young children.
I would also suggest that there is no point 'doing this by halves'. It should be properly built with a decent size kiosk including a store room, plant room, possibly 2 serving positions etc which would help with attracting a tenant. Noone wants to sit in a box all day!