THE DECLINE OF THE PUBLIC CONVENIENCEPublic
conveniences are familiar sight on our streets but could they are
increasingly becoming an inconvenience for local councils. Rising
costs, new legislation and spiralling upkeep costs could mean the
end for the humble public loo. We
investigate the future for the public loo, and seek out the best
and worst of the conveniences. At
your convenienceFor
many local councils the humble loo is becoming a bit of an inconvenience.  | | Chris
Jackson enjoys using a loo with a view |
Public
toilets are closing at an alarming rate. The
cost of keeping them open is quite phenomenal. South
Lakeland Council spends nearly 拢3/4 million each year on its
loos. It
spends a further 拢70,000 every year repairing vandalism, and
up to 31 million on improvements. No
wonder that many local authorities are seriously considering closures. More
closures are predicted with new disability access legislation which
will require costly access improvements by the year 2003. Flushed
with successThe
British Toilet Association have been lobbying government to take
the toilet debate seriously. Also
keen to promote the humble loo are the organisers of the Loo of
the Year Award.  | | Award
winning loos at Osmotherley |
Every
year the Award's team of inspectors flush out the best of the bogs
up and down the country. We've
been out and about looking for the best and worst loos in our region.
So hold your breath, it could be a wiffy trip! This
year's awards come at a time when North East England has been voted
'bottom of the bogs' by the Tidy Britain campaign. What
makes a lovely loo?The
Loo of the Year Award judge public toilets on standards of: - decor
and maintenance
-
fixtures, fittings and any extras
-
cleanliness
-
hand washing and drying equipment
-
toilet tissue equipment
-
sanitary waste disposal
-
air quality
-
security
-
access and changing
facilities
-
overall management
Loos
are graded between one and five stars by the award inspectors. Having
a toilet attendant obviously makes a big difference to standards
of cleanliness.  | | At
your convenience |
Meet
Betty from the toilets at Marsden in South Tyneside. Her
loos are frequent award winners with their fragrant smells, flowers
and fabulous fittings and fixtures. They even have poems on the
walls. The
Marsden loos receive our five star award for being a true super-loo. Whatever
the future for the public loo, let's hope that more public loos
take a leaf - or should we say toilet roll - out of Betty's best
bogs. | 
听听Inside Out - North East: Monday 7th October, 2002
