Public toilets in Newport Town Centre could be refurbished — although it could mean some taxpayers forking out more.
The South Street loos, near Newport Bus Station, are next on the list to be done up by Newport and Carisbrooke Community Council. The council says although the toilets are past their best, it would like to see them improved as they are still very well used.
The community council refurbished the loos in Post Office Lane 2 years ago, creating a ‘vastly improved’ facility.
However, improving the South Street toilets could require a ‘significant’ increase to taxpayers’ bills in Newport and Carisbrooke, it says. The community council is asking residents if they would be happy to foot the bill.
Based on the costs of the Post Office Lane project, the council says the refurbishment project could increase bills by 5% over a 12 to 15-year loan period before any of the council’s usual cost pressures are taken into account.
Currently, the community council’s precept sits below the average level paid across the Island. For a Band D taxpayer in Newport and Carisbrooke, they pay £90.77 a year towards the activities of the community council.
With the proposed rise — after years of no increases — a Band D bill could go up by roughly £4.54 in the first year, to a total of £95.31.
At that rate, it would still be lower than the precepts charged this year to residents by ten other town and parish councils, including Sandown, Ryde and Ventnor.
Councillors Julie Jones-Evans and Vix Lowthion said there are still many questions to be answered about the complex South Street toilets before a proper public consultation could start, so they can have a better idea of the costs. They said through a recent survey, carried out by Shaping Newport, new toilets were a priority for the public.
The community council had started preparing plans to refurbish the toilets but they were put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
There used to be public toilets at Coppins Bridge but they were turned into a cottage.
In my mind I say that the council have not been spending money on the Coppins Bridge toilet for a couple of decades as it is no longer there so why not spend the money on upgrading other toilets in the area.? It makes sense.
Keep the design simple to avoid it becoming a cottage, you only need three doors ~ men women and disabled, not just one door for unisex lgbt people.
You post was going so well until your casual homophobic comment. Not needed and adds nothing to the conservation.
It was used for cottaging, it’s well known and was used by many island men.
Or if you are referring to the door situation then that is also factual and accurate and true. It needs 3 doors. Ladies and gentlemen and disabled doors. There might even be a baby changing area needed so it might need a separate doorway too.
Nothing homophobic about my comment at all as I did not mention that it needs a back door.
Correct.
3 doors is the correct way, let’s keeps things simple and normal for everyone.
You cannot say the word normal, people will be choking on the vegan lunches.
Let them choke, it’s about time the world was normal again
I have had enough of this sh@T.
Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve etc.
Nice to see you’ve brought some homophobia into the conversation. Classic Isle of Wight.
so being anti vegan is homophobic, you really need to get a normal life
get lost sammy – over 90% of the isle of wight is heterosexual – therefore, over 90% of everything on the island must be directed at and for the benefit of heterosexuals.
instead of wasting taxpayers money on the floating white elephant ,remove this from service this will save tax payers money, all council staff to go back to office working and not home working . and a wage cap be introduced to the Elite staff of this Council.
Would the extra cost only affect Newport and Carisbrooke taxpayers or the whole island?
If there was only some way you could get that information by – I’m going out on a limb here – BY READING THE ARTICLE:
“require a ‘significant’ increase to taxpayers’ bills in Newport and Carisbrooke”
In a previous report it was Newport council tax payers who would be expected to foot the bill
The council just look for any excuse to rob us of more increases it’s about time they managed the multi millions they get more efficiently like every other organisation in this country .
they must know or maybe not, we have no more money and we’re totally up against financial difficulties already
cut the bloody scrounges money by a couple of quid each month then the refurb toilets would be the best in the country ,with the amount of scrounges that are looked well after on this island
That first sentence is a wonder to behold. Newport and Carisbrooke do not have multi-millions, spending money to improve public toilets is not robbing you and saying ever other organisation in the country is more efficient is completely mad.
At least they are staying open as so many are closed, they will be telling holiday makers last chance to go to the toilet is in the hotel, closing down banks, post offices that’s what the council do
Getting a proper cleaning company to scrub them might help before spending. Or the easy solution, sack Wendy Perera and a few more ineffective wasters stealing a living from our council tax, then there will be plenty of money to spend on them.
Wendy Perea has nothing to do with Newport and Carisbrooke Community Council.
I suggest the Council ask Southern Vectis to pay for some of the improvements. After an hour on a bus many passengers head straight for the loo.
On a personal level, I wouldn’t use Council toilets in any town centre. Too many of them are just disgusting.
Just about every supermarket, cafe, pub, fast-food restaurant, large store, DIY store etc has toilets, and they are usually kept much cleaner than the Council run public ones.
I know a few cafes have codes to enter but my experience of them is that if you don’t look like a junkie or a drunk they’ll let you use them. A few have stricter rules during festival time etc, and that’s fair enough.
Obviously they’d like you to buy something, but it works both ways. I’m more likely to shop or stop and have a coffee some place where they are welcoming rather than a place where they won’t help you out when you are ‘in need’.
As i understand it the island has a population give or take a few of about 140 thousand or roughly the same as a good sized town or small city, which incidently are invariably run by one council. Now as a rough set of maths if we did away with all the town councils and they costs they raise and money they waste I reckon the IOW council could lower next years council tax by between 7 and 12 per cent.
Good idea. Such a small population, with so many expensive town councils, building empires. Just taking us for a ryde.
no, these facilities should be financed by the isle of wight council, as they are used by tourists and visitors from other towns on the island. The town council should not be getting “a loan” from the isle of wight council -that is not how things are supposed to work.
the like of lothian and co will spend far more on meetings and consultations and expense claims for theirselves than these toilets will ever cost.
it is not complex – it is simple – refurbish them and re open – it doesn’t cost much for a few new internal doors, some paint and new locks
It won’t be done to soon as they are disgusting dirty and smelly. You need to hold your nose on entering. BUT the council should fund the job as not fare that Newport & Carisbrooke should pay it all. I wonder what holiday makers think as the coach park is next to them ( at least they can smell their way and not have ask directions. )
Sorry , given the level of vandalism to island toilets (look what’s just happened in lake) I can’t say I’m overjoyed at parting with more money just to fund so called excitement by some younger members of our society whilst they wreck it . Lack of public toilets in our community is a disgrace and in recent years the local authority has pushed all responsibility onto parish councils whilst they continue to squander our money in other ways (think floating bridge etc) . Time for a rethink on this matter
Its the councils job to keep these toilets in good order.
STOP trying to push the responsibility back to the Island people.
Do your job for goodness sake.
Your a joke at county Hall.
Don’t you read the comments of the people of the Isle of Wight.
this is another excuse to increas the counci tax
Surely it would be cheaper in the long run to reinstate the much maligned toilet attendants? They kept the toilets clean and fragrant and kept the vandals out so spending on wages would be covered by the reduction on repairs? Or is profit so important now that even public health comes second?