July 07, 2023 - 1386 views
Janet Finch-Saunders, Member of the Welsh Parliament for Aberconwy, has raised concerns that Conwy County Borough Council may not have adhered to its duty to prepare and publish a local toilets strategy by May 2019.
Part 8 of the Public Health (Wales) Act 2017 introduced provision of toilets and specifically local toilets strategies. The intended effect was to ensure each local authority in Wales assessed the needs of its community in relation to toilets, and then took a strategic and transparent approach to best meet that need.
After to writing to Mr Rhun Ap Gareth, Chief Executive, requesting a copy of the strategy, Mrs. Finch-Saunder received a response in which she has been advised that the current draft will be consulted on over the next two months, following which, a report will be prepared which is programmed for the Economy & Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee, on 27 September 2023.
Commenting on the Local Authority’s 4 year delay in preparing and publishing the strategy, she said:n“Accessibility of toilets across the constituency is a concern often raised by residents.
“One of the reasons for the strategy was to assess the community’s need for toilets, including changing facilities for babies and changing places facilities for people with disabilities, and provide details as to how the needs are going to be met.
“Residents and visitors have been let down by the Local Authority’s 4 year delay, and what seems to be a clear failure to meet a statutory deadline.
“Unfortunately, the Welsh Government did not make it a requirement for the strategies to be presented to them for approval. I suspect that should that have been the case, Conwy Council would now have a published toilet strategy.”
