To consider a report on the above.

The Assistant Director for Community and Customer Services advised that a comprehensive review of public toilets had been undertaken and that a procurement exercise was being undertaken to seek a commercial partner to deliver the provision of public toilets in Torbay.  It was noted that the procurement exercise had reached a stage where a preferred bidder could be appointed, and that at the Joint Operations Team Policy Development Group held on 12 February 2016 it was agreed that public consultation would be undertaken before any final proposals on the type and shape of future public toilet provision would be presented for decision.

Members were given examples of different delivery models/schemes for the provision of toilets which had been adopted by other authorities.  Members raised concern about the lack of facilities for the severely disabled and that part of the consultation sought the publics’ view on the closure of public toilets.

The Policy Development and Decision Group (Joint Operations Team) made the following recommendation to the Mayor:

(i)           that contrary to officer recommendation, the consultation proposed in the submitted report is not to be undertaken;

(ii)          that the Mayor does not support any reduction to the number of public toilets and that Community and Customer Services be requested to explore how the existing toilet provision can be provided via a modernisation programme which is in accordance with the Corporate Plan to reduce costs to the Council and report back to the Mayor and Executive Leads.

The Mayor considered the recommendations of the Policy Development and Decision Group (Joint Operations Team) set out above at the meeting and his decision is attached to these minutes.