Wokingham Liberal Democrats demand the return of Public Toilets (Wokingham Liberal Democrats)

Wokingham Liberal Democrats <info@wokinghamlibdems.org.uk>

Wokingham Liberal Democrats demand the return of Public Toilets

January 23, 2012 11:00 AM

A row erupted last night in Wokingham Borough Council Chamber when Lib Dems were outraged by Conservative hypocrisy over public toilets.

Woodley Conservative Councillors Shahid Younis and Keith Baker attacked the Lib Dems for proposing the reinstatement of public toilets - even though Woodley Conservative leaflets claimed the Conservatives were lobbying for new public toilets for Woodley & Whitegates.

Cllr Jenny Lissaman, Lib Dem councillor for Bulmershe and Whitegates, said "I was really shocked. Not only had the Tories put out the leaflets, but also in private some Tory members had indicated that they agreed with residents' calls to return public loos to our town centres. Yet when given the opportunity to vote to reinstate public toilets all the Conservative councillors lined up like sheep and voted against."

In the debate it was announced that the Chequers Pub in Woodley had recently joined the local loos scheme. Munir Ahmed, Lib Dem campaigner for Bulmershe & Whitegates, said "Many sections of our community are uncomfortable having to go into a public house to use the toilet and for those in the Asian and Muslim communities this is simply not an option. I call on Wokingham Borough Council to simply give us back our public toilets."

Lesley Hayward, Lib Dem Woodley Town Councillor for Bulmershe, said "Woodley Town Council has requested that Wokingham Borough Council use some of the developer contributions from the Sandford Farm development and do the decent thing by reinstating public toilets in Woodley Town Centre."