Agenda item

Decision:

(1)   That the closure of up to five of the Council’s public conveniences be approved in principle.

(2)   That public convenience grants be withdrawn from Ash and Shere Parish Councils.

(3)   That, subject to a review of responses from a public consultation, the Head of Operational and Technical Services, in consultation with the Lead Councillor for Environment, be authorised to determine which public conveniences should be closed in March 2022.

Reason:

To achieve £65,000 per annum savings in the public conveniences budget starting in the 2022/23 financial year.

Other options considered and rejected by the Executive:

Option 1 – complete closure of services

Option 5 – do nothing

Option 6 – charge for some of the services

Details of any conflict of interest declared by the Leader or lead councillors and any dispensation granted:

None.

The Executive considered a report that contributed to the Council’s medium term review of spending. The Lead Councillor for Environment introduced the report.

The Council was seeking to reduce revenue spend in the light of challenging financial circumstances.  The process of arriving at the recommendations in the report had included two meetings of the Service Delivery Executive Advisory Board (EAB) most recently on 4 November 2021. Alongside the proposed withdrawal of grant funding from Ash and Shere Parish Councils (£14,040), it was anticipated that there would be limited closures to be undertaken following consultation with the public. The deletion of two staff posts would result in one voluntary departure and the other being transferred to another role in the Waste Team.

The Lead Councillor for the Environment acknowledged the report was putting some difficult decisions before the Executive, but these were discretionary services and stressed the financial position of the Council.

Mr David Beaman, Chairman of the South West Surrey Disability and Empowerment Network addressed the meeting speaking on behalf of disabled residents and expressed concern about the reduction of the service within the community and the timescale of the closures. It was suggested that the withdrawal of services would also negatively impact residents with young children and the elderly. Mr Beaman was also a Waverley Borough Councillor and a Farnham Town Councillor and whilst recognising the financial pressures on local government asked if there might have been revenue savings made elsewhere – such as off-street car parking charging, consideration of the introduction of charging for public conveniences or contracting out. There was a final request that closures be staggered and not implemented at the same time to reduce the impact on the community.

Councillor Ramsey Nagaty had chaired the meeting of the EAB held on 4 November and was present to comment. The EAB had suggested closer collaboration between parties to retain services such as that between the Cricket Club and the café on Woodbridge Road. Farnham Road Car Park facilities were described as requiring updating and if that were not possible then closure was suggested. Overall, despite concerns for the very young and the elderly, the EAB had agreed with the recommendations. Finally, it was suggested that some capital investment to refurbish the two parish facilities would be welcomed by the parish councils before the funding was withdrawn.

It was noted that as a part of the consultation process when determining which of the conveniences would be subject to closure, businesses local to the site might be interested in advertising their facilities as available nearby. There would also be discussions with local businesses with a view to taking over the running of the facilities themselves such as the café on Woodbridge Road.

The installation of charging meters would in itself be costly and then the payback for the investment would create a time lapse. Coupled with the reduction footfall as a result of introducing charging indicated the practice would not help the Councils revenue account in the short to medium term as was required.

Increasing car parking charges could not be viewed as a single action to meet all revenue requirements. There would be increases in off-street car parking charges to come but had to be a review of all services as a part of addressing the budget gap.

The Leader of the Council in summing up reflected that, although there were difficult decisions to be taken, the recommendations before the Executive were the best options available to the Council. Subsequently, the Executive,

RESOLVED:

(1)   That the closure of up to five of the Council’s public conveniences be approved in principle.

(2)   That public convenience grants be withdrawn from Ash and Shere Parish Councils.

(3)   That, subject to a review of responses from a public consultation, the Head of Operational and Technical Services, in consultation with the Lead Councillor for Environment, be authorised to determine which public conveniences should be closed in March 2022.

Reason:

To achieve £65,000 per annum savings in the public conveniences budget starting in the 2022/23 financial year.

Post minute note: The Healthmatic report as appendix to the committee report considered by the Executive displayed the ladies and gentlemen’s tags on the Bedford Road data tables the wrong way round. This error did not alter the validity or accuracy of the Executive report, or associated Equalities Impact Assessment (EIA).