Maidstone's alternative public toilets - are they a health risk?

5.53.00pm GMT Wed 6th Jan 2010

Popular toilet at King Street multi-storey car park closed by Conservatives

The closure of popular public toilets in Maidstone Town Centre, has angered local residents and visitors to Maidstone. The practicality of the so called alternative facilities, have now raised serious concern in relation to public health and safety.

At a Council meeting held on the 16th December, Lib Dem Councillor Ian Chittenden said, "the facilities in the Town Centre, lauded as alternatives, are mostly larger retail stores which were already available for public use. The others, within restaurants and cafes, raise significant questions in relation to Health and safety."

Ian Chittenden asked Councillor Wooding, the Conservative Cabinet Member for the Environment, who made the decision to close the toilets, to confirm that a full public health and safety assessment had been undertaken assessing any possible increase risk of infection to diners using the restaurants. He has further requested that copies of any reports, including risk assessments, be made publicly available and is awaiting a response.

Ian has also asked for confirmation that all the new sites have facilities for changing your baby, and what alternatives had been provided to allow for the proper disposal of used needles to reduce the risk of injury or infection to the public. Recent experience at Maidstone Library, where used needles had been discovered by children in toilets open to the public, stimulate particular concern.