CONCERNS about anti-social behaviour and drug use in the Market Place public toilets has prompted the town council to rethink its opening times.
Currently the toilets are open from 6am to midnight, but it has been suggested that they close from 7pm, similar to other towns in the area, to reduce the unwanted behaviour.
The issue was discussed at a meeting this month of the town council’s asset management and amenities committee – but mayor cllr Jon Hubbard put the brakes on the committee making any final decision on the issue, suggesting that the town council first consult with the community and Melksham Without Parish Council, who jointly fund the maintenance of the toilets.
Cllr Hubbard said that whilst he agreed that there is a problem, he explained that the toilets are used after 7pm by “genuine users”, highlighting people that use the evening bus service from the Market Place as an example.
The mayor also suggested that closing the toilets at 7pm might not solve the problem of anti-social behaviour in the town centre, instead it might “create new problems” by moving the behaviour elsewhere.
At the meeting, councillors agreed to consult with the public and the parish council about the opening times of the Market Place toilets, and to bring the issue back to the next meeting of the asset management and amenities committee in October.
The standard of cleaning of the Market Place toilets was also discussed at the meeting.
Currently the town council pays a contractor, Idverde, “around £500” a month for the cleaning of the toilets – but according to the town council’s amenities manager, Hugh Davies, the toilets “have never been particularly clean”.
“That tells me that the contractor is not doing their job,” said cllr Hubbard, who added that the issue needed to be addressed with the contractor.
It was explained that the amenities manager is in talks with the contractor to improve the cleaning regime. However, the council is considering seeking a new contractor for a similar budget.
According to the amenities manager’s report, once the issues are resolved, the “ultimate target would be to enter the Loo of the Year award in 2022”.
