Town's toilets in jeopardy.

[maxi]

http://www.whitehorsenews.co.uk/blog/?p=1428

[Mike Hawkins]

Unfortunately, the running of public toilets is not one of the "statutory" duties of Wiltshire Council, and is therefore one of those services they can "offload" or close.

This is another example of where the people of Westbury will want some response, and action. from their elected Unitiary Councillors.

However, they have, so far, remained quiet on the proposal of Bath and NE Somerset (BANES) to divert all the Bath traffic through Westbury, but maybe this is just the period where they are adopting a uniform, planned and reasoned "plan of action" to the action by BANES!

[badger]

Mike the Issue of the westbury public toilets , has been raised by myself with Jane Scott OBE leader of Wiltshire Council,the Issue which has been raised Is now under review, and will go to the cabinet shortly, I personally have placed a alternative plan to the leader of wiltshire council , which Indeed met with agreement from her on this new idea which would safeguard this service for the general public , and she has agreed to place the new alternative plan to the cabinet, for their decision, you know full well the cabinet is made up of the Tory party 100% and any other councillors from the outside at present of the unitary council will have to fight their corner big time, this is being done , and a friendship between myself and Jane Scott is having a good effect that Westbury is being listened to , and acted on . 

ON THE issue of the somerset council and traffic coming through Westbury apart from us waiting for the relevant meeting which is going to be held asap , what do you expect your unitary councillors to do before we can actually raise them at the appropiate time of the meeting concerning this matter, if we met everytime you expect us to come forward before we have the correct facts and figures , then you would be also saying we where incompeteant, Mike you had been a councilor for long enough to know the system does not work that way so come on .

[Clevercat]

Everything is in jeopardy it seems...... now even the toilets.........

[Old Codger]

Looks like there is going to be more Pee that ever running down the pavements of Westbury if Wiltshire Council have their way, its bad enough now at times at least the offenders will have an excuse now.

[Soup]

Without prying to much - when was the last time any of used the public toilets?

[Andy]

The Warminster Road ones yesterday after completing delivering my White Horse News round!

[Old Codger]

Yesterday

[badger]

Can I point out the public toilet facilities are not under threat , there is around the county a great deal of closed toilet blocks that have not been used for years , And these buildings could be sold off , along with other council property no longer used , thus helping reduce some of the cuts we are facing at the moment , the question is will westbury lose its public toilets , no.

[Mike Hawkins]

the question is will westbury lose its public toilets , no.

That is good news. I hope it is soon confirmed by Wiltshire Council.

However, would you like to share your "alternative plan" with the electorate?

ON THE issue of the somerset council and traffic coming through Westbury apart from us waiting for the relevant meeting which is going to be held asap , what do you expect your unitary councillors to do before we can actually raise them at the appropiate time of the meeting concerning this matter, if we met everytime you expect us to come forward before we have the correct facts and figures , then you would be also saying we where incompeteant, Mike you had been a councilor for long enough to know the system does not work that way so come on .

When is this meeting to be held? BANES (NOT Somerset Council) appear to have already made their decision. I personally would have expected our Unitiary Councillors to publicly declare they are totally opposed to these proposals, even if Wiltshire Council under the leadership of your "friend" Jane Scott did appear to be saying "what a shame. It is not our fault and there is nothing we can do".  Could they not proposes a weight restriction on the A350 through Westbury (West End and Haynes Road), which would not necessarily effect our local businesses but would, quite rightly tell BANES to "get stuffed". Why are they not calling for a "Judicial Review" or appealing to the Minister for Transport (or whatever he is called nowadays). Surely NO authority can make a unilatertal decision to protect themselves that would have an adverse reaction on another community?

Bath does have traffic problems. but nothing that demolition of some ugly buildings and building an inner Ring Road woud not resolve!

"you expect us to come forward before we have the correct facts and figures"

Like with buying the car parks for £1!!

[badger]

Mike You are being silly over the carparks for a pound , you know full well that any transfer of say the carparks from Wiltshire council for a pound would be a starting point in negotiations between the town council and wiltshire council , and we await the town council's carparking groups propsals to Wiltshire council over this Issue.

[badger]

Mike I will ask you one question , you seem to delight in bashing the councillors and their work , and why why why they do not live up to your expectations , you where a councillor for this town for some years , what exactly did you achieve in your tenure as  councillor for the town , I would be most Interested , also you where the town council representative to the Area board , you have been quite vocal on the Unitary councillors here In westbury , so how many Area board meetings did you actually attend in 2 years ?

[Soup]

This car parks thing is nonsense. Why would they sell a money making commodity to the town council for pittance?

[Mike Hawkins]

Mike I will ask you one question , you seem to delight in bashing the councillors and their work , and why why why they do not live up to your expectations , you where a councillor for this town for some years , what exactly did you achieve in your tenure as  councillor for the town , I would be most Interested , also you where the town council representative to the Area board , you have been quite vocal on the Unitary councillors here In westbury , so how many Area board meetings did you actually attend in 2 years ?

I do NOT delight in bashing town councillors and their work. I criticise those councillors who either, come up with false promises, e.g. car parks bought  for £1, or toilets are saved (with no explanation), or who claim to act as individuals and not members of an elected team!

I claim NO individual successes - I was part of a team! NO councillor can legitimately claim that he/she has achieved anything as an individual!  Perhaps, as you think differently and complain that I personally achieved nothing, you will tell us what YOU have have achieved as an individual [b]town or Unitiary councillor[/b]

I failed to attend the Area Board meetings because I could not correctly, speak on behalf of the Town Council where the Area Board had not released its agenda to the Town Council in time for the TC to discuss issues. This was fully explained to the Town Council at a meeting at which YOU were present!! The town council agreed this, the Area Board promised to address this, BUT nothing was done.

[badger]

Mike my plan i placed forward to Jane Scott OBE  was as such , I had placed some of it above, but I will explain it again here.
Instead of trying to pass the buck of the costs to the town council , concerning the public toilets , perhaps they would at the wiltshire cabinet Investigate the idea of first of all selling the unused and closed toilet blocks through out the county and place these on the open market , thus raising much needed funds to help the budget cuts we are enduring , part 2 of the plan was to sell all the existing blocks of toilets , thus not needing the interpublic services who maintain these toilet blocks  across the county and instead , place the fixed toilet cabins seen across the country in places they are needed where of course you place your coin in go in do your buisness and leave , once left the automatic system cleans the whole cubicle elimanating any interpublic services needed .
this you will probably not agree with , but it would save thousands of pounds whilst raising millions across the county and then helping our cuts to be less than what they are at present. Jane Scott OBE thought it was a very good idea and one she has said she will take to the cabinet .