COUNCIL STILL AT A LOSS OVER VANDAL-HIT LOOS
THE district council is still at a loss over what to do about vandal-plagued public toilets in Dromore's Town Park.
For now the toilets have been closed to all but a select few groups and individuals, while in the meantime a portable toilet has been installed for general use.
Persistent vandalism is behind the latest moves, the council insisting the portable toilet - installed near the bus-stop at Banbridge Road - is no more than a temporary solution.
In September, 2007, the council panned rumours that the park toilets were to close permanently, this amid widespread claims that in fact they had been effectively closed for some time as the council moved to curb anti-social behaviour.
Eric Morton, of the council's Technical Services Department, said at the time the toilet block opened on a seasonal basis; closed more-or-less during the winter but open daily from mid-March to October.
Now, access to the existing public toilets is restricted, with disabled park-users, school and pre-school groups among those to whom they are being made available.
But Lagan Valley MLA Basil McCrea said this week it was regrettable that access was not afforded to the elderly or parents of young children.
Mr. McCrea conceded that the park toilets had been vandalised "simply too many times".
He said, "Banbridge District Council have found that it has become too costly to continually clear up the mess left by youths time and time again, and instead have opted to make the Dromore Park toilets only available for use by disabled persons, or authorised groups such as primary, pre-school or playgroup organisers and teachers.
"Regrettably this list of authorised groups or persons does not include elderly persons in the park, or parents with young children, who will both be forced to use the portable toilet outside the park."
Mr. McCrea said he had received assurances that the newly installed portable toilet was a temporary measure - pending the council's arrival at a long-term solution to the vandalism problem - and would be properly maintained.
"The Council has informed me that the portable toilet is only a temporary solution to the problem," said Mr. McCrea. "The Director of Environmental Services, David Lindsay, has assured me that the temporary toilet will not be a permanent fixture, and will be serviced every day by a Council toilet attendant and weekly by the rental company who supplied it.
"All steps have been taken to ensure these short-term facilities are up to the best standards, while the Council decides on the right solution to the ongoing vandalism problems."
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Weather for Dromore
Wednesday 08 February 2012
Today
Light rain
Temperature: 3 C to 5 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Light showers
Temperature: 7 C to 9 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: South
