Council ‘flush’ with toilets

IF you’re out and about in Swansea and feel nature calling, you might be able to carry on at your convenience.

That’s because the county is more flushed with publicly-accessible toilets than you might think.

Despite the closure of some city centre lavatories, there are nearly 50 venues where you can spend a penny – or 30p, if you’re cut short at the city’s Quadrant bus station.

There are toilets at beaches in Gower, libraries, parks, the Grand Theatre, Singleton boating lake and the National Waterfront Museum, among others.

Six of them are changing places toilets, which have a hoist and space for someone with a wheelchair and one or two carers.

But opening times vary from venue to venue.

The restroom requirements were brought up at a Swansea Council committee meeting, with Councillor Penny Matthews saying pop-up toilets were provided for revellers on a night out in the city centre, but not more generally for older people.

“Older people feel like a forgotten race,” she said. “Not only are they older, they are on water tablets.”

There used to be public toilets near Swansea Market’s Union Street entrance, and others at Princess Way, Welcome Lane, and off Trawler Road in Swansea Marina.

All councils in Wales must draw up a local toilets strategy by the end of May.

Swansea Council has consulted on its stategy, which includes assessing what’s currently provided and asking what people need and want.

Swansea’s director of place, Martin Nicholls, told the economy and infrastructure policy development committee that it was liaising with the British Toilet Association, and it had £75,000 for upgraded or new toilets this financial year.

“Charging for toilets is one of the debates,” said Mr Nicholls. “There are options for the council to consider.”

Councillor Mandy Evans, who described the High Street railway station toilets as “cleaner than the trains”, said she would be prepared to pay if they were clean and well-maintained.

“If you have to go, you have to go,” she said.

Speaking in March, Councillor Mark Thomas, cabinet member for environment and infrastructure management, said: “Public toilets are a service that almost everyone uses from time to time.

“They are also a service which the public have expectations of in terms of access, cleanliness and opening times.

“Once we have feedback from people and groups we can then draft a strategy to ensure we can work with others to improve provision in Swansea.”

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