Toilet on the Seafront
- 7 August 2013 20:22240046So, Neil are you going to start on the pathetic and sorry tale, or shall I?
- 7 August 2013 20:28240048pray tell dear simon we are all ears and keith has not reported back yet.
- 7 August 2013 20:36240052Keith who?
- 7 August 2013 20:42240054lord sansum of course.
- 7 August 2013 20:43240055
- 7 August 2013 20:48240057He weren't there Howard.
It was a big 'oh dear' on that one Simon.
Councillors, almost to a person, standing up to say that the toilets should open immediately under DTC interim management or under Pebbles and the public there present unanimously expressing the desire to see these toilets re-open this season - tomorrow if possible - and yet the motion passed ends up seeing them remain closed for the rest of this year. Erm - what on earth? - 7 August 2013 20:50240058Fair report from the Mercury.
- 7 August 2013 20:50240059It is called democracy Neil, 10 votes to 4.
If you knew what I know,we would both be in trouble! - 7 August 2013 20:50240060interesting read jim, as expected the public lose out and the vote of 10 - 4 seems to be par for the course.
another point is that it was made clear beforehand that the public could not speak but in the event many did.
own goal after own goal. - 7 August 2013 20:52240061yes a split from the Labour Group all 4 votes for I believe were from Labour Cllr,the rest Tories and Indies that were there voted for re-tendering.If you knew what I know,we would both be in trouble!
- 7 August 2013 20:53240062It was a free vote
If you knew what I know,we would both be in trouble! - 7 August 2013 20:55240063the town council are clearly not fit for purpose, all of our villages manage to run public toilets to a high order without any problems with a lot less money.
half a million in reserve?? - 7 August 2013 20:55240064I know John, but it doesn't make it any less frustrating that the outcome everyone said they didn't want, the toilets closed for the rest of the year, was the one that the majority voted in favour of.
- 7 August 2013 20:58240065Thank goodness DTC don't have a brewery in which to organise a p155-up.I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
- 7 August 2013 21:02240066I took number 4 daughter (May) along with me so that she could see local democracy in action getting things done for their community. She was somewhat puzzled how the vote achieved what everyone said they didn't want to happen
- Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,895
7 August 2013 21:02240067My neighbour was there and between his report, the link above and those I have read here it seems this unsatisfactory fiasco continues.-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
------------------------------------------------------------------- - 7 August 2013 21:25240068So not one motion has been passed in these toilets then?
- 7 August 2013 21:27240069It was quite clear that there had been a briefing before the meeting to vote for an amendment that would mean that the Town Council must look in to running the toilets directly. The concession and the toilets are to be re-advertised for a fresh round of tendering. Cllr Hood let this briefing slip during his very long speach. Cllrs Brivio and Goodwin alluded to it as well.
It was stated that the Biggin toilets cost the Town Council £24,000 a year to run via DDC, yet the councillors present did not seem to be able to grasp that there is a big difference between that figure and the £3,500 they have set aside to pay the rates, insurance and standing charges if the seafront ones remain closed. Well, if there is half a million in the bank, who cares about operational costs?!!! Significantly, none of the councillors offerred to open, close and clean the loos in the interim.
Cllr Brivio stated quite clearly that if the Pebbles bid was not put in to operation then the facility would not open this year. The RFO and Town Clerk also stated very clearly that they have an obligation to tender for any contracts and they would have to investigate carefully if it is possible to save time and piggy-back DDC's tendering process by extending their contract to maintain these toilets as well as the Biggin ones until this mess is sorted out.
The public wanted the toilets open. Due to Cllr Cowan's amendment and the sheep he has following him, the toilets will remain closed for at least the rest of this season because their next meeting is not until the end of September. They were at pains to say that they had listened to the people and had taken toileting very seriously, and then vote by 10 to 4 agians opening them!!
It is little wonder little happens in this town. Leave aside the procedural issue they seem to have with this, Sue Jones who nobody disputed works hard for this town, has only 4 friends on this council and that is such a shame. She must feel absolutely wretched now. Well done to Mr Mayor and Cllrs Brivio, Hood and Goodwin for voting for Dover and common sense.
If I were Sue, I think I might have to take my ball home. 
- 7 August 2013 21:40240070you seem to be separating people into goodies and baddies simon when i believe all are culpable in this issue.
we hear things like "democracy in action" when the issue is about people "taking a leak", hardly a political conundrum.
these people have just less than a million quid a year of our money with this outcome.
maybe we should ask sylvie to sort this mess out? - 7 August 2013 21:47240071#17
PhilipP, I hear you.
Ignorance is bliss, bliss is happiness, I am happy...to draw your attention to the possible connectivity in the foregoing.