'It's disgraceful' - Readers blast council plans to close Edinburgh's public loos
Under the planned cuts, 16 loos across the city would be shut permanently, saving £250,000. The only facilities that would be retained would be at Cramond and Pipe Lane, Portobello, which would open in the summer for beach-goers.
The council would try to offset the closures by stepping up its “community toilet scheme”, which pays businesses £500 a year for allowing members of the public to use their loos. Only nine businesses are signed up to the scheme.
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Hide AdOn Facebook, Louise Dunn wrote: "It's disgraceful. As a local who loves to walk I know where all the loos are! Supermarkets, friendly restaurant/pubs, the Summer loos in Porty.....perhaps I'll publish a guide. It's embarrassing to have to advise tourists to buy something in a cafe in order to use the facilities."
Another reader, Andy Main, said: "Dysfunctional and out of touch with what citizens of Edinburgh need.
"What about stand alone pay unisex toilets that are all over Europe? A small fee to use would pay for service in no time."
Andrew Black said: "Have any of these councillors been on the Royal Mile during August and seen how much stress the businesses are under because of people using their toilets? £500 does not cut it, not by a long shot. What are we paying council tax for?"
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Hide AdEdouard Dunnachie also made a concerning observation, writing: "This has been going on in most councils over recent years. Councils have no legal obligation to operate public toilets."
But Malcolm Wilson said: "It's a fundamental human need to go to the toilet, it's the same throughout the country, disgraceful!"
Readers also made tongue-in-cheek remarks after reading another Evening News story about the installation of new 'top-up taps' across Scotland for people to refill their water bottles, with the first being put in outside Holyrood.
One reader, Graham Whyte, quipped: "You can find these when you need a drink but, will you be able to find a toilet when you've had too much?"