CONCERNS have been raised about the lack of public toilets in the park over the summer after the toilets were closed following Wiltshire Council budget cuts.
Children and families using the King George V Playing Field will now have to go to the Market Place to use a public toilet or hope that Waitrose or Sainsbury’s would be happy for theirs to be used.
Local woman Mrs Nettleton wrote to Melksham Independent News to say she had seen a child upset that they couldn’t get into the toilet block, which was closed in April.
She wrote, “I told the child that unless she went to a supermarket, she would have to go to the Market Place. I wouldn’t want my grandchildren riding their scooters or bikes on their own through the town.
“Surely, with nicer weather on the way and long school holidays coming up, common sense can prevail and the toilets can be opened up. No need for 24 hours, just until late afternoon.”
The toilets were closed permanently in April after Wiltshire Council stopped maintaining them and Melksham Town Council decided it could not afford to keep them open.
Of the three blocks in the town, only the Market Place ones remain open, owing to an agreement between the Town and Melksham Without Parish Councils, which jointly fund upkeep of the toilets.
Mayor of Melksham, councillor Terri Welch said, “The town council is very sorry that the public toilets are not available, but it was Wiltshire Council’s decision to close them.
“Along with Melksham Without Parish Council we agreed to pay for the Market Place toilets as that’s the busiest area of town all year round. There are supermarkets with toilets at the bottom of town, but not near the Market Place.
“It was a hard decision but Melksham was lucky to have three blocks in the first place – it was the only town in Wiltshire to do so.”
Wiltshire Council stopped looking after public toilets in April this year in a budget cut.
Melksham Town Council decided it could not afford to maintain them all, and now funds half of a £14,000 pot to keep the Market Place facilities up and running with the other half funded by Melksham Without Parish Council.
