Community Amenities Working Group (Loo Committee)
The Working Group meeting at the end of February was told that Eden District has shelved the decision to close public toilets across the area, subject to the outcome of a whole review of spending to be carried out by the interim Chief Executive. There will be a report in late September. While this is good news in one way in another it may present problems if, after a delay of 6 months the decision to close is taken, leaving only 6 months to arrange alternative management.
The Group decided to continue to lobby for the Council not to close the toilets and to ask the residents to support this by asking candidates in the local election for their views on the matter to ensure it is a known issue for them to answer. Also, work will continue to bring the issue to the attention of visitors, to monitor the number of visitors by sample surveys and use of the email duftontoilets@gmail.com to collect comments. It is also proposed to explore the opening of a twitter account as means of communicating the issue more widely.
Meeting 28th March 2011:
The twitter account has been set up with the address @duftontoilets. On this it will be possible to contact followers to build up a group informed about the issues. To add a comment, go to twitter.com and say your piece. There have been responses to the email from visitors to the village, willing to give support. The more comments we get will help with both the campaign and, if necessary, bidding for funds
As the Spring and Summer approach petition and survey slips will be put in the toilets to get visitors views and comments which can be used in a publicity campaign to keep pressure on the EDC during the period of the review. The Youth Hostel is to be approached to give survey sheets to visitors. A short survey of the residents in the village is to be conducted to elicit comments for a similar purpose. Members of the Group will be monitoring visits by coaches and noting when the village is particularly busy. Those with cameras will take photographs to give supporting evidence, any more offers of photos of the village at busy times during the coming months will be gratefully received via the email, a note of the date and time the photo was taken will be helpful.
There have been a series of letters in the Herald about closures in other parts of the District and one member of the Group has been asked to write to the Editor to give Dufton’s viewpoint.
The email and twitter are easy ways to keep in touch and we hope that you will avail yourselves of these ways of making comments and suggestions to the group.
The Working Party Members are:
Morgan Donnelly (Chair)
Gillian Bryan
Barbara Scurr
Richard Scurr
Caite Guest
Ron Barker
Kevin Brighurst
David Carter.
The Working Group will keep you up to date through this web site following the next meeting which is on April 27th 2011.