LETTER: Concern at lack of public toilets

Anyone like myself that has the privilege of living in the West Sussex village of Cowfold away from the hustle and bustle of London is so lucky. We moved here over eight years ago and the people and surroundings make every day a bonus.
By The Newsroom
Published 26th Oct 2014, 06:00 BST
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However, much to my surprise and concern in Cowfold, it appears that the public toilets have been closed for some time without alternative measures in place. Causing the obvious consequences of ongoing public health issues which can’t be prevented if an unfortunate soul has a human need to publicly urinate or have a bowel movement. The end result is that someone is cleaning up human waste with disinfection liquid with the hazards that can result from that action.

I have worked in Africa and other locations in the world, but I did not expect to see this type of problem in the beautiful village of Cowfold.

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The social impact is that recently visitors to our village simply trying to trace their family history in the local church and graveyard were dismayed not to find an open public toilet. Or the distressed lady motorist that had been delayed in a traffic jam asked with urgency in her eyes to find a Good Samaritan to use their toilet.

However, the biggest issue is our future village generation of children using the local playing facilities and nowhere for their caring parents to take them in safety to the public toilet.

Of course, it could be said that funding these facilities in these hard times is that painful decisions have to be made for the greater good. However, as we all know, if public facilities are shut without alternative solutions for the betterment of the village population then young and old alike are affected regardless.

Please, please can common sense prevail and if there is no public money to reopen these previous toilet facilities or able to keep them clean and safe to a very high standard, then alternative solutions must be found, even it means possibly seeking private funding for a self cleaning toilet complex that all the villagers and visitors can use in complete confidence and safety.

Going forward, I hope for positive dialogue on this situation of seeking solutions and not seeing this as a problem that cannot be resolved in a timely manner.

R.P. MARSDEN

Station Road, Cowfold

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