It’s not just Rye’s public toilets that are being advertised as potential coffee shops and bars. As we report in the news section, Icklesham Parish Council (IPC) has serious concerns about Rother District Council’s plans for the toilets in Winchelsea Beach and Winchelsea too. A spokesperson for IPC says the council is “selling off” much needed community assets. This is the full statement.
We have been in discussions with Rother District Council about taking over both facilities for many years so this came as a total shock to furious residents and councillors alike. The situation has been very complex as the buildings are in a terrible state of repair and realistically, it is likely that the only option is to demolish both buildings and replace the public toilet facilities which is what Icklesham Parish Council wanted to do and we have been waiting to hear from Rother on this subject for months.
Rother District Council initially offered both facilities to Icklesham Parish Council on a leasehold basis. However, given the potential costs involved in demolishing and rebuilding, the parish council, on behalf of residents, stipulated that in order to take the toilets over the parish council would want the freehold interest of both sites. This is to ensure the future of the buildings and also to protect Icklesham Parish taxpayers’ money. Rother District Council have refused to transfer the freehold and are now offering the sites to private businesses. The parish council have never understood their reluctance to handover these facilities, particularly as we thought Rother’s aim has always been to devolve these facilities onto town and parish councils – this was obviously not the case.
The adverts on Dyer and Hobbis’ website stipulate that the lessee would need to provide public toilet facilities during business operating hours,but the adverts do not state whether these facilities would be for paying business customers only, a free service or how Rother District Council intend to manage and enforce this.
Icklesham Parish Council are very much of the view that the best way to preserve these essential public services is to transfer them to the parish council. We have written a three page letter to Rother District Council complaining about their action in “selling off” assets – residents can view this letter on our website (Icklesham-pc.gov.uk). We have reiterated our interest in managing the toilets and the freehold title, the decision of whether to go ahead with this now lies with Rother District Council.
We will of course update residents as and when we receive further information from Rother District Council.
Image Credits: Icklesham Parish Council .
Rye is a tourist attraction and during the summer there are coaches of people. Where will they go should they need to use a loo. There is rye market on Thursdays. Apart from all the other attractions.
It’s hard for businesses to make a living. The town must make it a place of pleasure and also convenience. What are these stupid people sitting in their offices, well if they are not working from home, thinking about. This country is just loosing all logic due to stupid ideas.
A survey should be held to find out what the public want.
Regarding the public Loos in Winchelsea (now closed) I do an occasional stint at the local museum and numerous times the first thing the punters ask is “where are the toilets?”
Unfortunately the New Inn is the only place remaining for the desperate ,or behind a wall in someone’s garden !!
Rother District Council,owners of the public toilets, can find money for a ‘beach garden’ in Bexhill, £10,000, promoted by one of their previous hierarchy, but not for public necessities like toilets.
Many people spend their working life on the road, pothole repair people (but that is another story), taxi drivers, home delivery drivers, home repair tradesmen, truck drivers, NHS home visitors and carers, to name but a few.
Every town and village in the District should have available public conveniences, as was the case in years past. Any thing less is a reduction of the pubic service RDC should provide.