Toilets at The Centre and College Walk in Margate are not open to the public despite a statement reportedly from Thanet council leader Chris Wells this week saying they are.
The Isle of Thanet News reported in November that Thanet council was closing the public toilets due to “vandalism, threats and drug misuse.”
The facilities in College Walk and The Centre were shut on Friday, December 1.
A Thanet council statement said the closure was due to antisocial behaviour, adding: “This decision has been made in light of constant abuse of council staff, drug and alcohol misuse and continuous damage to the facilities.
“This has required considerable additional resource to cover cleaning and repair bills and, has had a detrimental impact on the safety of our staff, other toilet users and nearby properties.”
An interview this week claimed Cllr Wells said the toilets had been reopened but Thanet council has today (January 11) confirmed this is not the case.
A spokesman said the toilets remain shut apart from the disabled facility at The Centre which is accessible with a key. The special ‘Radar’ key is given to people with disabilities through their GP or Occupational Therapist.
One resident, whose wife has a key, has reported that although this unlocks the door at the toilet in The Centre, access cannot be gained because there is an additional padlock on the door.
UPDATE: This evening (6.20pm) a council spokesman said all the toilets at The Centre would now be reopened from tomorrow morning. They will be accessible from 7am.
A case of the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing. ?
It’s a bloody liberty. They need reopening as soon as possible. Where does the Council think shoppers should go when all the toilets are locked. Even the Morrison’s supermarket toilets are closed and have been since these were locked up. Come on TDC, you have dozen’s of private company cigarette enforcement officers walking about the town with nothing to do, open the two public toilets and let these officers check-in as they are passing. The majority of users are genuine.
These need opening NOW , for a basic human function ! If you urinate in the street you will be fined or arrested, or is that the idea . We should all start using the toliets in the Thanet Gateway.
At last, TDC have bowed to residents’ pressure by reopening the loos – or so they say… Has anyone checked today?
Sadly, there will always be undesirables using public toilets, but the councils everywhere in the world just have to accept it. I agree with the above suggestion re the wandering reinforcement officers. They could easily check the loos on their rounds, but are they working at night too?