Project under way to make public loos super (From thisisoxfordshire)
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Project under way to make public loos super
10:30am Monday 3rd September 2012 in News
By Damian Fantato, covering Summertown, Jericho and North Oxford. Call me on 01865 425429
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John Tanner
WORK has started on a major revamp of public toilets in Oxford.
Oxford City Council is spending nearly £450,000 on bringing its public toilets up to scratch over the next three years.
The authority has been working with the Oxford Mail to find out what people want from their public toilets, with our features editor Jeremy Smith being appointed city toilet ‘tsar’.
As a result of the suggestions which flooded in, the city council will be replacing the existing stainless steel fittings in all of its toilets with a hygenic composite material and fitting ergonomic and vandal-resistant dryers as well as providing better quality soap.
Better lighting will be installed, as well as hooks for bags and coats, and easy-to-use locks. Despite calls for a return to ceramic fittings, the city council has opted against this as they are too easy to damage.
Thanks to Mr Smith, toilets in the city centre will be given a completely new look, with fresh flowers, books and copies of the Oxford Mail’s review pages on the walls.
He said: “At last we’ll finally see if the proof is in the pudding, so it’s fantastic that work has begun.
“And please be sure to let us know what you think.”
Builders have now started work on the toilets in Florence Park which are first in line for the revamp and are currently fitting new unisex cubicles. A disabled bay and a parent and baby bay are being installed and the exterior of the block will be spruced up.
John Tanner, the city council’s executive board member for Cleaner, Greener Oxford, said: “I am thrilled that the Florence Park toilets are getting a completely new look.
“Florence Park is one of the most popular parks in Oxford and it is important that we have quality toilets to match.
“The Oxford public has made it clear that it values the city’s toilets and it is my job to make sure they stay open and that they are welcoming for both local people and visitors.”
Once the Florence Park toilets are completed, the city council will begin work on revamping its toilets in the city centre.
Work on the toilets in Market Street, Oxford’s busiest facilities, will take place in October while the Gloucester Green toilets will be refurbished early next year.
The layout of the Market Street toilets will remain the same, but completely new fittings will be installed, while the Gloucester Green toilets will be expanded to include more cubicles for women.
The city council owns and operates 24 public toilets across the city, as well as running a community toilet scheme which sees nine businesses in the city centre make their toilets available to the public.
The council plans to refurbish all its toilets as part of the scheme.
Comments(10)
Dilligaf2010
says...
12:55pm Mon 3 Sep 12
........fresh flowers and books in public toilets, are they trying to encourage people to take up residence?
xjohnx
says...
2:42pm Mon 3 Sep 12
WitneyGreen wrote:Hmm. Unwarrented sexism perhaps?
Assuming that facilites are going to be closed while they are refurbished it would be helpful to know the dates when the work is planned.
I also find it astonishing that Market St (where there is always a queue in the ladies) is not getting additional cubicles, while Gloucester Green (where there is rarely a queue in the ladies) is getting more. An odd decision (made by a man, no doubt...)
EMBOX1
says...
3:50pm Mon 3 Sep 12
mytaxes
says...
5:09pm Mon 3 Sep 12
WitneyGreen
says...
6:44pm Mon 3 Sep 12
xjohnx wrote:A missing sense of humour, perhaps?
WitneyGreen wrote:Hmm. Unwarrented sexism perhaps?
Assuming that facilites are going to be closed while they are refurbished it would be helpful to know the dates when the work is planned.
I also find it astonishing that Market St (where there is always a queue in the ladies) is not getting additional cubicles, while Gloucester Green (where there is rarely a queue in the ladies) is getting more. An odd decision (made by a man, no doubt...)
carli
says...
6:56pm Mon 3 Sep 12
abingdonguy
says...
9:51pm Mon 3 Sep 12
Summertown Star 12 A* wrote:Summertown use to ones in the town hall. Much better than most in town.
carli wrote:Just open toilets in the city centre would do. St Giles have been shut for nearly 8 years.
just clean usable toilets would be nice.
Made me laugh "books and copies of the Oxford Mail’s review pages on the walls." What hung on a nail for toilet paper?
oxfordrocker
says...
7:54am Tue 4 Sep 12
WitneyGreen
says...
9:40pm Tue 4 Sep 12
oxfordrocker wrote:Don't bother with BHS - they expect you to buy something, and the toilets are filthy. M&S next door has good toilets, as does Modern Art Oxford round the corner. Also toilets in County Hall and Debenhams. In emergency, staff in McDonalds, Costa (Queen St) or KFC won't question people going upstairs to use the loo, and there are a few pubs where you can get to the toilets without being seen by staff (The Chequers, for example, and the Red Lion)
Which 9 business toilets can we use? We were told we had to buy something at BHS.
WitneyGreen says...
11:20am Mon 3 Sep 12
I also find it astonishing that Market St (where there is always a queue in the ladies) is not getting additional cubicles, while Gloucester Green (where there is rarely a queue in the ladies) is getting more. An odd decision (made by a man, no doubt...)