Barlow's Beef: Who will you meet in the loo?

As a dog owner and regular user of our local parks the proposal to spend around £125K on a new toilet block in The Carrs is commendable. There is an obvious need to cater for the huge number of visitors.

To be honest, we need decent toilet facilities in all our public parks so why don't we have them?

Both South Park and West Park in Macclesfield have existing facilities but they are permanently closed. This is no penny-pinching measure by Cheshire East to cut costs but a reaction to the activities taking place therein.

Apart from rampant vandalism, they attracted drug use and other unseemly conduct. Regular park users soon learned to give these toilets a wide berth.

So what are the council to do? Employing an attendant isn't a cost effective option and without supervision the new facility will surely suffer the same fate as all the others.

The detritus of drug use in the Carrs is significant, as it is in many of our recreational facilities. A toilet in a public park eventually becomes a focal point for small-time drug dealers and users. It's certainly not a place you'd want your children to visit.

Of course there is a demand for such a facility but how do you manage it? The days of full-time park keepers are gone and I do not recall ever seeing a police officer in any of our parks.

There is very good intention from Wilmslow Town Council in this proposal but £125K of public money is a considerable sum and unless they have a management plan to keep it free from vandalism etc it will be for nothing.

Look, I'm no expert on public facilities. I only know what I've observed over years of regular walking in our public parks. Maybe WTC do have a sound plan? If so then good luck to them, we could certainly use a decent toilet facility.

If not... they may find a better use for our money.

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of alderleyedge.com.

Tags:

Barlow's Beef, Vic Barlow