The idea of switching locks in a public pay-to-use toilet in Yarmouth — to stop sneaky users — has been branded as absolutely ridiculous by the Town Mayor.
Almost 18 months ago, Yarmouth Town Council installed its pay-to-use toilets on Bridge Road and on Yarmouth Common at a cost of nearly £160,000.
Since then, up until the end of September, the facilities have generated around £10,500 for the council. However, a recurring issue has been noticed recently, with people able to dodge the 20p fee to use them.
Cubicle doors are being deliberately left open as people leave the lock bolt out, so the following user gets free entry.
Upon investigation, Danfo, the makers of the Bridge Road toilets, estimated the cost of changing the manual lock to a button system would be £7,600. To recoup the money back for the new lock, the toilet would have to be used 38,000 times.
Speaking at the Yarmouth Town Council meeting last week, Councillor Jamie Allen, Town Mayor, said it was an absolutely ridiculous suggestion and people would find a way to overcome the new lock system, like they do in other places around the Island.
Cllr Allen said the different locking mechanism was not available at the time the toilets were installed but it was not a sensible retrofit now.
Councillors agreed, judging by the takings, it was not necessary to change the lock and said some people were honest and did pay to use the facilities.
Since installing the toilets, it has saved the town council around £2,500 in operational costs a year. It borrowed the money to install the toilets from the Public Works Loan Board and repays £7,744 each year.
Councillors agreed the toilets was a good investment and the situation seemed to be better than before.
Just shit in the street. They will soon make them free again.
Just going to say exactly that and hope people do that.Greedy corrupt council,you shouldn’t have to pay for what is a natural function
Does it matter can’t believe you have to pay to piss anyway
How can public toilets be an investment? And they are calling people dishonest.
Piss up the wall, much cheaper.
This council is a joke
24/7 parking fees 365 days a year
And 20p or 40p to have a piss
Why do we pay Council tax!
We have to pay to P@ss or Sh@T
Soon there will be a Fart Tax
FART TAX !!!!! Jeeesh that is me well out of pocket fella
I am perfecting the silent but violent Fart so it won’t cost me anything.
The council would probably ‘invest’ in silent fart detectors.
Would not surprise me, the Council is run by a bunch of
Old useless Farts
If they feel thy have to charge, then put a pay entry on the outside main door.. not the stalls.. or maybe sell a key like the disabled toilets… ??? But honestly they should be free, and the toilet block should be looked after, health and hygiene, and pay for it out of all the council tax we pay…
It’s ok we still pay for them in our council tax. When they are meant to self liquidate but the good out thieves in county hall want more so no I don’t think people should have to pay for as long as we pay for it
Compared to Paignton we are lucky – there it is 30p! AND you can only pay by card. I think 20p is fair, and the odd one sneaking in without paying not a great loss.
So much wasted money! I suppose they don’t care, it’s us Council Tax payers contributions that are being squandered. Disgusting.
At least they are not going to waste more money changing locks, we should be grateful for someone actually thinking ahead. Sounds as though it was led by someone having a “Senior” moment!
Just use the Yarmouth council building toilets, let the councillors keep them clean .. that don’t do or achieve much anyway ..
We could always use the big monstrosity at the bottom of the high street, it’s called county hall, but it’s full to capacity with excrement already.