Cardiff Hayes Victorian public toilets to close after £190k investment

[editor]

This is a terrible idea. There was a good reason why they were restored just a few years ago.

CARDIFF council plans to close an historic gem: a Grade I listed public toilet, despite the nearest council toilet being half a mile away.

The council hopes to save £92,000 a year by closing their public toilets in The Hayes which were renovated in 2009. The renovation came after the council investigated the need for public facilities in the area.

The council had agreed that the toilets were needed to cope with the overspill from nearby pubs and nightclubs. Conservative Councillor Roderick McKerlich, who was part of the research in 2009, said: “If anything I am looking for more public toilets. If there are no public toilets then the drunks will relieve themselves in the street. We need to do something better in the city centre. It would mean mobile toilets every time there’s a big match on.”

The toilets, which opened in 1890, were restored to their former glory, with Victorian marble and original facilities, in 2009 costing the council £148,000. If the toilets do close the four full-time attendants will be made redundant unless there are other council vacancies that they can fill. One of the toilet attendants, Nicky Kenyon who has worked for the council for 11 years, said: “I am shocked and appalled at the proposal... Why not just charge for them? I live in Caerphilly and many of the public toilets there charge, most of the country do.”

And here's useless Labour showing that they don't give a fuck:

Labour councillor for Cathays, Sarah Merry said: “The public toilets architecture is of historic interest but at a time when we are facing cutting services to children and the elderly, we had to make priorities. The toilets cannot be used by families or the disabled. Obviously the toilets are part of the architectural history of Cardiff and the decision was not easy but we are faced with hard decisions.”

There are disabled toilets in the St Davids centre, but Cardiff also needs these bogs for the massive crowds they get during internationals and weekends. I've no idea why she's claiming that families can't use the toilets.

 

[Quartz]

How on earth does a toilet need 4 full time attendants?

 

[teqniq]

I got a better idea, let's sack Russel Goodway he seems really good at wasting public money:

from wikipedia

Remaining an elected councillor for Ely, Goodway was subsequently elected CEO of the Cardiff Chamber of Commerce in late 2004. In late 2007/early 2008, the chamber financially collapsed spectacularly following at overpaid training grant from ELWa of £500,000, which could not be repaid thanks to interest payments totalling £500,000 and other debts of a further £1million.[3] After all 35 staff were immediately made redundant,[4] it was subsequently liquidated.

 

[rhod]

Well, it's all about saving money. How else are they going to afford the swish new Council HQ they plan in Callaghan Square?

 

[Gavin Bl]

Very sad to hear this, a great bit of Cardiff's character

 

[bendeus]

I got a better idea, let's sack Russel Goodway he seems really good at wasting public money:

from wikipedia

He is a fucking worm

 

[johnj]

here is the campaign link to save the site: https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/cardiff-council-to-save-the-hayes-victorian-toilets

 

[Gromit]

How on earth does a toilet need 4 full time attendants?

It's in a busy town centre, underground and easy to vandalise if unsupervised.

I never liked going in them to be honest and preferred the ones that used to be by the open air market.

 

[lunatrick]

probably get sold off and turned into a trendy bar as long as it is listed i don't mind.

 

[King Biscuit Time]

This is a real shame. I'm going to make a dirty protest next time I'm back in the 'diff.

Seriously though - all that fake swank they've got down the Hayes now, and they're letting an genuinely stylish classic bog go to shit.

 

[editor]

I always use them. Love the Victorian fittings.

 

[meurig]

It's appalling. They keep appearing in documentaries, and we're shutting them down. They're one of the few things of genuine architectural interest left in Cardiff.

 

[ddraig]

consultation survey on the budget here
http://cardiff.gov.uk/content.asp?nav=2865,2872,3257&parent_directory_id=2865&id=13970

 

[fogbat]

Any idea when they're planning to close them? I'll be back in the Diff in late March and don't think I've ever visited.

 

[ddraig]

i guess it would be april at the earliest if it is approved in the budget
don't know for sure tho

weird you've never been down there, you sure? by the Hayes Island cafe hut thing and down the steps

 

[free spirit]

How on earth does a toilet need 4 full time attendants?

2 shifts a day, 7 days a week + holiday cover would probably mean 4 attendants needed to provide a single attendant at all opening times.

 

[Gromit]

The Victorian decor always made me feel that I should worry about Jack the Ripper turning up.

Still a shame to lose a Victorian landmark though.

 

[pepper78]

Stuff like this really grips my shit. Cardiff council really couldn't give a toss about retaining any character or individuality within the city. It's fast becoming a bland, modern, over-developed crap-hole. A corporate whores wet dream.

 

[Ranbay]

How on earth does a toilet need 4 full time attendants?

2 in the gents 2 in the ladies.... it's open longer than a 8 hour shift.

 

[1927]

Splott pool , Pontcanna riding school and Storey Arms all closing as a result of cuts. At the same time they are raising officers pay to over £120k and have pledged £1.5m for a yacht race in Cardiff in 2017. True socialism.

 

[editor]

A rather witty Twitter account has been set up for the loo:
http://twitter.com/VictorianLoo

And there's a petition to save them here: http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/cardiff-council-to-save-the-hayes-victorian-toilets

 

[Tankus]

an opportunity for someone ...perhaps
http://crystalpalacetoilets.blogspot.co.uk/

 

[Belushi]

I was reading about the Crystal Palace conversion recently, they really have done a great job of it.

 

[meurig]

Hang on, they're closing Storey Arms? That's been there for ever.

 

[editor]

Hang on, they're closing Storey Arms? That's been there for ever.

What, the one in Brecon? Where have you seen that (and please start a new thread!).

 

[agricola]

How on earth does a toilet need 4 full time attendants?

Three eight hour shifts of one attendant being on duty and one having a day off, each attendant getting (at most, its probably quite a bit less) £23k a year.

 

[ddraig]

i imagine they'd be on about £16k, even less

 

[poisondwarf]

Stuff like this really grips my shit. Cardiff council really couldn't give a toss about retaining any character or individuality within the city. It's fast becoming a bland, modern, over-developed crap-hole. A corporate whores wet dream.

Agree with every word unfortunately. Sickening.

 

[meurig]

What, the one in Brecon? Where have you seen that (and please start a new thread!).

Post #20 above. That's why I phrased it as a question.

 

[1927]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-21469795

You couldnt make it up, closing leisure facilities in Splott and bidding for the Commonwealth games! I bet the bid costs more than the cost of running the pool and the victorian toilets!