Pub aims to flush out toilet closures

From the The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald, first published Thursday 5th Jan 2006.

Landlords Tony and Edwina Forsyth say people are using the Bear Hotel in Chippenham as a toilet stop since the neighbouring bus station loos closed down.

Mr Forsyth said he had already noticed a huge increase in the number of people popping in to spend a penny since the Timber Street facilities shut early last year.

The final flush for the toilets was signalled last week when North Wiltshire District Council applied for permission to demolish them.

Now Mr and Mrs Forsyth, along with councillor Nina Phillips who has been campaigning to save the conveniences, are appealing for people to sign a petition to save them.

Mr Forsyth, who has owned the Market Place pub for five years, said: "We've become the first port of call for people who need to use the toilet at this end of town. We are the nearest toilets for people getting off the buses including the drivers.

"I'm not up in arms about it but we are not a public toilet we are a hotel and pub."

The former public toilets and bus station waiting room have lain derelict since February after several bouts of vandalism. The conveniences were used by bus and taxi drivers, travellers, shoppers and people using the library across the road.

The district council now wants to knock the building down to improve access to the bus station.

The nearest public toilets are in the Borough Parade and Bath Road car parks, although these and others in the town close at 6pm.

Mr Forsyth said: "We aren't unsympathetic but people are getting cheeky. We've seen a clear increase in the number of people coming in. But what are we supposed to do?

"I picked up a bus driver nipping in one time but I felt sorry for him. They are doing a job with no facilities.

"The costs aren't huge but these people are using our water, soap and electricity and we are paying for it. Generally if people bother to ask me then I don't mind I'm not exactly going to say no.

"If people are desperate then they are desperate. They can't traipse around town looking for somewhere to go. We've had old people and young kids in here. You can't just drag them out again."

Mr Forsyth said he'd offered to take on the toilets at no cost to the council, but his proposal had been snubbed.

"I'd be quite happy to renovate the toilets and turn the waiting room into a little caf for the bus station," he said.

"Of course it's a nice little business opportunity for me but it's a lost opportunity now they're going to be taken down."

Coun Phillips was very disappointed the toilets had to be demolished. "From what I understand it's a safety precaution but I hope it's not the final straw," she said.

"We are now hoping to work out some kind of provision for the future.

"I've done everything I can think of to stop this happening. I'd ask everyone who feels the same to sign the petition in The Bear and try to make the council see sense."

Although North Wiltshire District Council ran the loos, providing public toilets is not a statutory requirement and a new toilet block would cost £200,000. It is hoped a decision on the future of the building will be reached by mid February.

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