Anger from taxi drivers as Falkirk Council closes its remaining public toilets

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The local authority’s cash saving exercise to close the three remaining public toilets in the Falkirk area has been met with anger from taxi drivers and other workers.

Falkirk Council made the decision to close the facilities at its budget meeting at the start of the month.

The three remaining public toilets which are days away from closure are located in Glebe Street, Falkirk; York Lane, Grangemouth; and Register Street, Bo’ness.

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One taxi driver stated: “I’m a taxi driver in the Bo’ness area and there are at least another 30 taxi drivers who also work in this area – as well as postal workers, council workers, delivery drivers and many more workers who need to use a public toilet while out working.

The public toilets in Glebe Street, Falkirk will be closing for goodThe public toilets in Glebe Street, Falkirk will be closing for good
The public toilets in Glebe Street, Falkirk will be closing for good

"I think Falkirk Council are being very unreasonable in taking this decision and not informing the public of what their intentions are. Where are we all supposed to go to use a toilet now?”

A Falkirk Council spokesman said: “The closure of the public toilets in Bo’ness, Falkirk and Grangemouth was agreed by the council as part of the annual budget exercise at their meeting on March 2, 2022.

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"This is estimated to save around £135,000. There are Community Centres across the Falkirk area that can be used during their normal opening times.”

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There have been money saving plans on the table for a number of years to close the public toilets.

Back in 2016, when there were discussions and proposals to close them, there was a partnership scheme – entitled Spend a Penny – drawn up which would have seen

a variety of business, many of which have now closed, opening their doors to people who needed to pop in to relieve themselves.

The public toilets did actually close for a period in 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, but they re-opened in October of that year and have been open ever since.

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At the time Councillor Allyson Black stated: “Our town centres need all the help they can get just now, public toilets are important to people visiting our town centres.

“Many people have issues whereby they need to know that toilets are easily available.”

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