Harbour toilets closure opposed
Thursday 16th December 2010, 2:30PM GMT.
STATES plans to save money by shutting public toilets have sparked fresh controversy.
The Castle Emplacement facility will close in the new year as part of the cash-saving scheme.
But many islanders who use the loos are not happy with the economy move.
The Guernsey Yacht Club committee is planning to write to Treasury and Resources to oppose the closure.
Adam Reed (pictured), principal of the Guernsey Sailing Trust, said that even when the Castle Cornet toilets were open in the summer it would be too far for some people.
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if it closes where will the people that fish on the wall go to pee?!
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close all the toilets and save money.make people go in corners and fine them when they get caught so you can make more money.who said our states are stupid
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make the tiolet cleaners redundant so they can go on the dole. that will save thousands of pounds a. very clever.like milton says, £200 fine for havin a pee in pulic places now. even if you are doing it outa sight !
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The states, are pathetic .
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Why not make those in prison clean up the toilets?
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The Public Health danger from lack of toilets is immense. An aging population (we are all growing older) who can not control time to go. Police who are determined to stop urinating/messing of streets. The vast number of serious diseases carried in the gut of each of us varies from country to country as a tourist destination Guernsey is open to many exotic bacteria/viruses
from visitors. The duty of care to public is individual to each person in public office the closing or failure to provide toilets to minimum standards can result in each officer/representitive being held criminally/financially responsible for their actions.Ignorance will not be a defence acceptable in court. It is reprehensible that public representitives require reminding of their duty to their paymasters (The Public ?
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The real problem here is not the money being spent on maintaining these necessary public facilities, but on that being paid to those who thought up the idea of closing them…
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I think the States have totally lost the plot, good post milton it just about says it all.
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I don’t believe the public should be fooled into the current States philosophy ‘can’t spend a penny and the pounds will look after themselves’
Surely there are better uses of someones time such as reviewing the well known over-staffing levels in various States departments, overspending and maybe even benefits cheats!
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We have a prison that is rather full of people…..make use of them! Agree completely with Mr G. We as taxpayers pay for them to have food, shelter etc. Only fair that they give back eh? On another note….how on earth can you be fined £200??????? I have seen much lower fines for much worse offences! Oh well…tax and fine the public to death…..lovely!
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As a scuba diver – both myself and other divers do use these toilets on a regular basis (so would you if you had just completed a dive in cold water). Where are we all expected to urinate – on the slipway – out of the car door ? This area is popular with tourists, fishermen and various other clubs and full of activity during the summer. This is just not acceptable !
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will the model pond cafe have to close as it will not have a toilet anymore or could he rent it and maintain it and may be be able to extend his cafe to cover the cost
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Where the hell is the sense in closing it? Whats going to happen to the building?
Where are people going to go? Arses!
GD.
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So the silly bu**ers who live in cowardly castle tower are working hard again
Not for us islanders but to get kudos for themselves!
Whoever’s idea was this needs to drink 4 cups of black coffee then find a loo after 1/2 hour of desperately seeking with knocking knees and heck what do I do next?
Biggest oops was none in Market Square
This is your next 2nd loo wise!
Keep going, you need us all to pee in areas where not allowed
Ahh, another SOG income source if caught
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The States are acting like petulant children. The attitude seems to be that if we have to save money then we will cut things that effect Joe Public and have quick wins. The real money that can be saved is in the background with States contracts. These could be renegotiated, especially using the buying power of the entire public sector as opposed to the same old bunker mentality that we see with each committee negotiating its own contracts. But as these contracts are all in the background there is no public scrutiny and therefore no pressure to ensure that they are the very best value for money possible. These savings would dwarf the quick win savings if only the states would get their act together. However with most department it seems to be a p*ss*ng contest (excuse the wording – but I am really frustrated!) as to who has the biggest budget, department, staff levels, senior managers etc.
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Hold on, but Tribal will get their 6% from this saving so it is reasonable. No point getting English Consultants in and finding they can’t make any money from what they are asked to do is there?
If we are to save money then its important for us to get rid of all those expensive useless things like smelly toilets. I’m behind the move they are an eyesore.
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Another plan by the states to hinder the exodus,the masses wont be beaten,whos taking the Pi** now
Upwards and Onwards
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Im sure the Police wont mind if I urinate into the Sea.
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First they considered them less important than museum relics, now we’re being prevented from emptying them.
Am I the only one wondering if the States have got a vendetta against the island’s bowels?
Or perhaps this is their revenge for being publicly slated about the screening programme?
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havent these recently been refurbished in the last few years, at what cost to the taxpayer?
looks like ill have to crank my johnson over the sea wall next time im down that end.
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If they close these toilets that are greatly needed and used then I shall P*** in the open and if caught I will go to court, refuse to pay the fine or do community work and go to prison. The States can then spend the money looking after me for the time sentenced. I`m retired so it makes no difference to me where I spend my time or if I get a record now and if one of these idiots happens to be around when I`m needing a P*** then I will p*** on him/her to make sure they get the message.
Aren`t these public areas especially the ones near childrens play areas going to smell wonderful.
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yes i will be going for a pee in the corner, good old states of guernsey what planet are they on.
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ROFL any idea if an elderly lassie can hide behind a beached boat to do same?
Easier for chaps to hide intentions!
Ridiculous stunt SOG
Smacked bottom + all in house loos banned!
That will really save a few pennies
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Yes not a very good example to my four year old grandson but I too will tell him to pee in a corner, we live down their in the summer as he loves to watch the boats, but if you think you can tell a four year to hold on, think again.Goodness knows if its number 2, doesn’t bear thinking about.
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Save public toilets and cash every where?
1) Clip Lyndon Trotts wings = Massive saving
2)Get rid of 95% of the states members keep 5% the 5% is all thats worth having with common sense. Then the 95% would have to get a REAL job like the rest of us to get ripped off every time.
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Maybe the States should stop wasting our money on foreign holidays whilst trying to overpopulate our island with wealthy tax avoiders/evaders, (yes, it IS the same thing, they’ve just re-badged it!)
Our deputies are so pathetic at the moment, pandering to these people, while we can’t afford to keep the toilets open. In the good old days when the tax system wasn’t so corrupt our island was so much better.
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Who on earth are making these decisions i really dont know what this island is coming to yes the states are short of money but who fault is that they can only blame them selves they must have accountants who can advise them but yet again the general public will suffer, I just wish the public would get together and ask what is going on before its to late.
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CLOSING THE LOO IS STUPID! End of discussion.
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I am a lucky parent who has a son with a great hobbie, FISHING, often fishing around the castle area etc, I suppose now I can look forward to him being arrested or cautioned for getting caught short and peeing, hopefully discreetly, but obviously not in a loo as some very short sited person has decided to close it. Thanks to my son’s hobbie I have visited that area on lots of occassions during the year and I now know how many people walk, fish, sit in cars, use the cafe, the list is endless, I absolutely dispair with whoever has made this decision Ali
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So we got people fishing (not to mention the fishing fleet), using the yacht pond, divers & people who do winter maintenance on their boats
This is daft! What about the kiosk visitors & owners?
Hey! lets create a crocodile protest march every hour or so and flood the loos at the bus terminus! What a laugh that would be as poor town shoppers have no options but there as well
Might be a good place to set up a Fishing Market ~~~
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Malcolm
Sorry, but you are totally incorrect. Avoidance and evading are totally seperate things.
For example, if I said to you “Malcolm, totally legally, you can open a bank account in Jersey and pay a quarter of the tax you currently pay, and your life won’t be any different except for all the extra money you’d have”, are you seriously telling me you wouldn’t take that opportunity?
That, sir, is avoiding tax.
And it’s the difference in saying “Malcolm, you can put your money in Jersey, but if they find out in Guernsey, you’re in jail” – That is evading.
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Why not shut the loo in the States building? It’s closing will also save money and not as many people will be ‘inconvenienced’ !
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If the states used there brains a bit more they could save money in other ways, NO 1 BENEFITS the amount of people out there claiming is unreal, the ones i know are laughing there heads off having children getting every thing paid even taxies, heating, house,and lots more and they dont want a job because it is a easy life. how much is this costing the states, I think they are picking on the wrong people yes the people paying there ways and we are the ones loosing out.
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Hi.
How about everyone en-mass turn up at the States Offices to use the loo!!!!!!!!!!
GD.
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Don’t need any examples Billythefish, tax avoidance/evasion, both immoral, and both result in the lower paid paying a higher proportion of their income in taxes. Don’t be fooled, just because tax avoidance is legal, it is still tantamount to stealing from those that can least afford it, The sad thing about avoidance being legal is that those with the money think that they are doing nothing wrong! The bottom line is, Guernsey can’t afford public toilets because it has imported so many rich scroungers.
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I’d willingly join a march in protest of these loos closing. My fishing days will be over at the lighthouse otherwise. I use them all through the summer when fishing off the pier.
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Malcolm
The cuts in Guernsey services has very little to do with the wider ‘tax justice’ argument. I imagine that most of the ‘rch’ that settle here pay the correct taxes on income derived. Some may not, of course.
The issue is that the States have not got a tax structure mandated that allows for such obvious things as public convenience because they are elected on the foundation that appeasing a narrow, however lucrative, sector is the answer. That may have been so in the past. The question is simple: do we believe that this thinking will deliver the revenue needed or do we vote to mitigate, and understand why we do, the very powerful spin of the finance industry?
What is the point of certain aspects of the finance industry creaming the money when the host has to suffer such nonsense.
It has to be a two way affair.
And it is not enough for the industry spokespeople to say “well we contribute xyz”
Without the inward investment above taxation (if we are giving a free enough ride) the ‘amount’ is merely covering a wider deficit.
Personally, if I were a boss of a major finance player, I would find it horrifying that there weren’t enough public conveniences in the place where I was supposed to be a paragon of the system.
It may be toilets this week. Next it could be park maintenance. Or street cleaning. Then the bus subsidy. Maybe footpath maintenance. Moving on….why should anyone grit the roads…why not certain medical treatments…..schooling……street lights…walk out of your door and imagine what would happen if we believed that losing anything that we take for granted should be shrugged off.
Remember that the business interests such as Mr Winser (sp) reckons that the services that provide the support for all of our bread and butters weren’t doing their bit.
Let’s remember exactly why he is earning so much money.
Guernsey. Its infrastructure.
Wouldn’t it be pragmatic – no REALISTIC – for those that profit the most from the Guernsey taxpayer, to understand the relationship between Guernsey as a social entity and Guernsey as a potential balance sheet amelioration device.
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Malcolm
I’ve heard some nonsense, but that’s right up there, sir!
There is nothing immoral about avoiding tax. In the UK, they levy IHT and CGT (with thresholds of course). One of the reasons is they need the money.
Here, in Guernsey we don’t have those taxes. Because generally we don’t need them. So if someone moves over here because they have a job or a partner here, or because they like the beaches – how do you know it’s not really because they want to avoid tax?
The second you decide to move away, I’ll tell people that you’re stealing from Guernsey, shall I?
Oh, and what a generalising whinging Guern you are (or just jealous of course) Rich scroungers. I like that one. Remember to tell Jensen Button the next time he’s down Le Rondin making kids smile and lots of money for charity how rich a scrounger he is.
It’s people like you that give Guerns a bad name, Malcolm. If that’s your attidude, take your tomato and your itchy jumper, and head off somewhere remote that’s 50 years behind the times – you’ll be happy there.
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“take your tomato and your itchy jumper”
A classic, I take my hat off to you billythefish, thanks.
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billythefish
I don’t think that Alderney would be far enough away for Malcolm
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Sorry – I was getting a little irate by then! I don’t even know if he’s local! I’ve got an idea he might be loco though!
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As a regular visitor from Yorkshire, I find I am able to spend more time on the Castle breakwater having found these loos. Prior to that I had to trail back to those by the ‘bus station. KEEP THEM OPEN I SAY.
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Well said Gary – I completely agree with you !!!
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Reading through all the comments it is very clear that most of the Guernsey people feel that these toilets are needed and rightly so, Would it not be possible to hand over control of most of the toilets to the owners of nearby tea rooms / cafés etc who could then charge a few pence for people to use the loo’s, I can remember years ago when there used to be an attendant in the toilets at market square who kept the loo’s clean for a small charge to use them, If the tea rooms kept the loo’s clean and tidy I for one wouldn’t mind spending a penny!( or should I say 10p with inflation) to use a clean toilet when needed. -Small income for tea rooms- No expensive bills for the States – Everyone relieved in more ways than one!
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These loos I use all the time.
All the loos around the island get used, sadly reading the other article it implies that this is one of 4 others to be affected by changes to opening times.
Not everyone can control when they can go to the loo, there is such a thing as bowel and bladder urgency, closing public loos will just restrict people affected in this way to having even less outside areas they can enjoy.
The market loos were a great loss, while they were restricted to those who could use the steps, they were appreaciated. It is not pleasant to ask a commercial facility if you can use their loos if you are not there paying for something, and why should you need too.
Able bodied does not necessarily mean abled continence.
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I just took a leak in the Model Yacht Pond, the whole pond turned purple.
They’ve already thought of that one, we’ll just have to pee elsewhere if they close the toilets.
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W.Clark – the health risk from urine is largely non-existent. Urine is sterile, unless there is something seriously wrong. In fact you can safely use it to wash a wound if you have nothing else suitable.
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So the Chief Minister can now sort out the toilets at the Castle Emplacement eh …. has it got anything to do with being a ‘fishermans friend’ or is he really doing this for the good of the island? or is he spending a penny to take the p***?
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David Cranch – that’s true, but there’s what comes out of the other end too!
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