Warlingham Parish Council’s response.
Public toilets are an essential part of the infrastructure of a town or large village and as the third largest settlement in Tandridge, Warlingham should have one.
The Warlingham toilet is valued by residents and visitors and there were many complaints when it was unavailable recently due to roof repairs.
Due to its proximity to the Village centre the toilet supports the many businesses around The Green – without it, shoppers and visitors would have to ask to use pub and café toilets, which would place an additional burden on those businesses. It is particularly important for passing drivers, workmen and builders.
The public toilet supports the many events held in the village centre and avoids the need to bring in unsightly portable toilets. It is also used as a source of power and water for some of these events, in particular the iconic Warlingham Christmas Lights.
If the toilet was closed it would reduce the attractiveness of Warlingham as a destination and create an unwanted nuisance to the cafes and pubs which would have to service a stream of visitors asking to use their toilets, unpleasant for customers and adding to their cleaning costs.
The Council is aware of other areas where town councils have taken over their toilets. However, these are open for limited hours which is not desirable as toilets are needed at all hours. Charging is also undesirable as it will be a barrier to use and requires extra management and maintenance, which might not be covered by the income generated.
It is the Council’s view that devolving management of toilets to town and village councils is very inefficient due to the loss of economies of scale, procurement clout and management expertise brought by running a portfolio of toilets. For this reason, this Council believes that their provision should remain the responsibility of principal councils.
If the Warlingham toilet was fully refurbished and modernised, the Council might be prepared to consider a joint funding arrangement for a trial period, as long as the toilets remain the ultimate responsibility of TDC.
We will continue discussions with TDC about the future of the public toilet in Warlingham.