There will be a joint meeting with community council representatives to discuss the future of public toilets in Carmarthenshire on Friday Feb 15th at 12:30 in Carmarthen.
AMs, MP,s and local councillors and representatives will attend:
Some key issues to be addressed:-
- Whilst CCC has made a slightly improved transfer offer, this overlooks the grave reality that local councils with very low precepts (some as low as £8.5k for 2013/14) have no chance of generating the annual capital and revenue income required of approx £8k pa to keep the public facility open. To illustrate charging machines in Llansteffan would raise less than £1.5k pa. If CCC cannot afford to keep them open, however can local councils!
- The user and promoter should pay, principally day visitors and day walkers to the coast and tourist hotspots like Cenarth. Of note Wales Coast Path is a Welsh Gov initiative and public conveniences represent an essential facility that should receive on-going central funding to avoid closure. Small tourist villages have in reality very few businesses that will benefit from day walkers, unlike towns like Tenby in Pembs.
- CCC has imposed an impossible deadline on local councils of closure by 31 March. Letters informing councils of this political decision were only received in Nov 2012 and it has not been feasible to undertake the necessary research, negotiations and consultations in time to influence the precept decisions taken at the January local council meetings.