Residents raise petition to stop toilet closures
BBCMore than 1,000 people have signed a petition to oppose the permanent closure of four public toilets across a city.
St Albans City and District Council is shutting facilities at Abbey View Athletic Track, in Verulamium Park, as well as in Drovers Way, the Civic Centre car park and at the Bowling Green in Clarence Park.
It said 16 public toilets were in need of "repairs, maintenance and upgrading" and without refurbishment they could close.
Anne Howie, who presented the petition, said it would lead to "urination and defecation" in public spaces.
The council said toilets in Wheathampstead, London Colney, Park Street, Quadrant, and Redbourn will only keep their disabled facilities, which would be refurbished and made available for anybody to use, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said.
Refurbishment could cost about £220,000 and the closures are expected to save £42,600 a year, it added.
Ms Howie said: "Older people value knowing a loo is not far away. The loo leash can tie some people to their homes.
"Loss of loos also affects mums with children, menstruating women and pregnant women who all may need access to loos urgently.
"The one thing we do not want to lose is an accessible toilet, but on its own it's not enough."
The petition asks for the council to carry out "a full cost/benefit analysis" of changes to the public toilets.
Liberal Democrat councillor Helen Campbell said the plans would "bring about improvements and safeguarding and futureproofing the provision for all".
Stuart Fitzsimmons, the council's assistant director responsible for public toilets, said: "The bottom line with the toilets is they are in a poor state of repair.
"They're just so old and tired, they need to be refreshed.
"We don't have the budget to keep them all open, and even if we managed to secure external funding to refurbish them all, we don't have the budget to keep them clean and maintain them moving forward.
He said the council was "in discussions" for parish councils for them to take over the ownership of the toilets.
Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.