Community empowerment
90. The Government's White Paper "Communities
in Control" was published in July 2008. Its foreword, by
the Prime Minister, describes how it sets out measures to enhance
the power of communities and helps "people up and down the
country to set and meet their own priorities", claiming that
"in this way we strengthen local democracy by increasing
participation."[148]
91. This empowerment was described by Baroness
Andrews in the context of public toilets:
…we think it is more effective if what is provided
is locally determined and owned and sustainable and, therefore,
a source of local pride…the Local Government Act [is] putting
more emphasis on community voice with people saying what they
want in local community and the duty to involve, and I think that
is the direction to go in, in order to put pressure on local authorities
and councils to do better."[149]
Baroness Andrews told us of a specific example when
local residents took action into their own hands:
In Camden it was a group of older people who got
together and said: "This is really not good enough, we have
to have better provision", and they drew up a strategy which
the council put in place, and we have seen that in other parts
of the country…It has to be something that the local area
does because it is the right thing to do, and there are all sorts
of ways of putting pressures on councillors, as we know.[150]
92. The local community has new powers to influence
their local environment, as highlighted in the Community Empowerment
Action Plan and the White Paper "Communities in Control".
For example, the White Paper introduces a new duty on local councils
to respond to all petitions about local authority functions and
public services. If the council's overview and scrutiny committee
does not consider that the response is adequate, the petitioners
will be able to secure a debate of the full council and "in
any event, if 5 per cent. of the local population sign a petition,
there will have to be a full council debate".[151]
This means that if enough people in the local community demand
more public toilets, the local authorities will have to listen
to their concerns.
93. There is much that the local community can
do: "people-power can, and does, make a difference"
as the Government's Strategic Guide states. It highlights "neighbourhood
management partnerships, tenant management organisations, community
forums, local voluntary and community groups" who all have
a voice in shaping the environment in which they live.[152]
94. In our evidence session, we heard from Alan
Shrank about the way in which NORA shares best practice between
residents' associations about tackling local problems connected
with public toilet provision.[153]
We also heard from Martin Jackaman about the Changing Places
campaign that has facilitated public toilets for the severely
disabled.[154] The
ENCAMS memorandum recommends that there should be a public consultation
before public toilets are demolished, and only when it has been
agreed in the local community that those toilets are no longer
viable, should closure take place.[155]
In this way, the local community is having a direct voice in
shaping their local area.
95. We recommend that local
authorities consult their local community if there is the threat
of public toilet closure, and that local authorities must demonstrate
the case for closing public toilets. Public toilets should be
closed only if there is a strong case for it and after extensive
consultation.
96. Local authorities should
follow the Government's White Paper "Communities in Control"
and should involve the local community when devising their public
toilet strategies.
Available guides
and literature
97. There is a wide range of detailed
information and guidance on all areas concerned with the provision
of public toilets, including location, design and signage: the
Government's strategic guide is a general overview about the provision
of public toilets; the BTA has a list of recommendations and a
comprehensive website; and British Standards BS8300 and BS6465
both provide codes of practice for the design of sanitary facilities
and scales of provision.
98. The British Standard Institute
memorandum describes the proposed British Standard BS6465 Part
4, which is based on the current Annex C of BS6465-1:2006, and
will provide
a comprehensive standard for providers
of public toilets, which takes into account physical (special/geographical)
distribution issues, user requirements and design considerations
(including the Gender Equality Duty [GED] of the 1975 Sex Discrimination
Act) and practical, economic and management issues.[156]
However, as was noted during our oral
evidence sessions, although there is the Government's Strategic
Guide, "for all we know that guide could be sitting in the
chief executive's bottom drawer, never seeing the light of day."[157]
It is important that these guides and strategies are used by
local authorities, in an active way and in the context of their
other priorities.
148 "Communities in Control: Real people, real
power", Communities and Local Government, July 2008. Back
149
Q 104 Back
150
Q 109 Back
151
"Communities in Control: Real people, real power", Communities
and Local Government, July 2008. Back
152
CLG, Strategic Guide, p 33. Back
153
Q 16 and Q 18 Back
154
Q 3 and Q 7 Back
155
Ev 58 Back
156
Ev 90 Back
157
Q106 Back
