Following a consultation with residents and visitors in East Cambridgeshire, the District Council is no longer intending to take forward the option of introducing a charge to use public conveniences.

The consultation was part of a review of the service which has assessed the current state of the nine toilets in Ely, Littleport, Burwell and Fordham which currently cost over £200,000 a year to run.

One of the ways other local authorities across the country fund their public conveniences is through charges to fund improved facilities. The Council tested this option through a questionnaire where people were asked what they thought of the current service and whether they would be prepared to spend 20p to use the facilities if the money was reinvested in the toilets.

Of the 152 people who responded to the consultation, the vast majority of those questioned said they would not be in favour of paying 20p to use the toilets. They responded with a variety of reasons:

•    Having cash available
•    Impact on city and tourism
•    Facilities should be free
•    Could potentially create anti social behaviour

The Council will now be looking at other options as they move forward with their service review.

Councillor Bill Hunt, Chairman of Asset Development Committee at East Cambridgeshire District Council, said: “We would like to thank all the people who took the time to complete our questionnaire on the idea of charging for using the toilets in East Cambridgeshire. We received very useful feedback from residents which has helped inform the review we are undertaking. While the Council no longer intends to introduce a charge, we will continue to explore other options as our work on this area continues.”

For more information please call 01353 665555 or visit: www.eastcambs.gov.uk.