Frome Town Council is asking for your views to help decide the future of toilets in the town centre. Since September last year, the public toilet block at Market Yard has been closed, with the Changing Places facility kept open for those who need it and public toilets provided at the nearby Cheese and Grain. The decision was made following Frome Town Council stepping in to prevent permanent closure of the facilities by Somerset Council.
Cllr Nick Dove explained: “The toilet block at Market Yard was one of many facing permanent closure as Somerset Council looked at ways to cut costs amid growing financial difficulties. We made the decision last July to temporarily close the toilets as they were becoming expensive and difficult to maintain. The facilities are reaching the end of their life – they were becoming blocked or faulty even with normal use, and replacement parts were costly and hard to find.”
Nick continued: “To make sure people could still access public toilets, we made an agreement with the Cheese and Grain to allow public use of their toilets as our main Town centre toilets and the maintenance of the Changing Places toilet – we have asked Somerset Council to provide us with a long lease for the Market Yard block, which would allow us to make changes to the building and now we need to hear from you.”
The options being considered are: refurbishment of the existing toilets; building a new purpose-built toilets facility; creating a reimagined site that incorporates new toilets along with other amenities such as a visitor information centre, or kiosk; and continuing and expanding on partnerships like the ones with the Cheese and Grain and other venues in the You’re Welcome scheme, which allows people to use toilets in cafes, pubs and shops with no obligation to spend any money.
It’s easy to have your say on the new My Frome website, with the option to do a quick 2-minute activity, a 5 minute survey or a longer survey where you can go into as much detail as you like.
Visit tinyurl.com/frome-toilets to take part. There will also be opportunities to share your views face-to-face on Thursday 9th and Saturday 11th April, alongside the Saturday market.
Changing Places
Do you, or does someone you care for, use the Changing Places facility in the town centre? Frome Town Council are considering installing keypad access to the facility to help prevent misuse. Cllr Mark Dorrington said: “Since opening in 2018 following a fantastic local campaign, the Changing Places facility has allowed residents with additional needs to enjoy our town centre by providing them with a purpose-built space. However, there are concerns over misuse, with some people reporting that the facility was in an insanitary state when they tried to use it. A possible solution would be a keypad for access. It’s really important that we hear from those who use the Changing Places, to help us understand their needs and preferences.”
The Changing Places facility is currently accessed by using a radar key, which anyone can purchase. Installing a keypad for access has been successful in some places at reducing misuse and vandalism. This would involve users needing to call a phone number to receive the access code, which would change regularly. Nearby venues such as Discover Frome in the library could also provide the code, but outside of venue opening times it would require having and using a phone to access the facilities.
Let Frome Town Council know what you think with the quick and anonymous survey online at tinyurl.com/frome-toilets, or by calling 01373 465 757 or popping into Frome Town Hall.
