Public toilets

[gazaprop]

Considering that basic sanitation is one of the founding reasons for establishing local councils in the first place it is their duty to provide adequate provision. They are paid to do so.

Shops and businesses provide toilets for the use of their customers; not to cover for Sefton Council's derilection of duty.


Sefton seems to be flush with resources when it wants to buy decrepit shopping centres in Bootle or to lavish funds on any number of other hare-brained schemes of its choosing... while neglecting core basics.

I repeat - the Council is under no obligation to provide these services.
No matter how you dress it up by referring to some altruistic concept and, then extrapolate that to imply a dereliction of duty, they are not paid to do so.
The argument put forward about being flush was very funny - I saw what you did there - very good.

[dav]

I repeat - the Council is under no obligation to provide these services.
No matter how you dress it up by referring to some altruistic concept and, then extrapolate that to imply a dereliction of duty, they are not paid to do so.
The argument put forward about being flush was very funny - I saw what you did there - very good.

They are paid through council tax and business rates. Some services are mandatory; others are discretionary. Are you saying that Sefton should only do the bare minimum that is mandated by law? Presumably the other millions should be spent on buying dilapidated shopping centres and other idiocies (oh, sorry, that's also not a mandatory duty ... but they still chose to do it).

[gazaprop]

They are paid through council tax and business rates. Some services are mandatory; others are discretionary. Are you saying that Sefton should only do the bare minimum that is mandated by law? Presumably the other millions should be spent on buying dilapidated shopping centres and other idiocies (oh, sorry, that's also not a mandatory duty ... but they still chose to do it).

You really are struggling with this one aren't you - no - the Council are not paid to provide 'discretionary' services via Council Tax or Business Rates.
So - yes - with a reduced income due to cuts, the Council should only provide what they are legally obliged to.
A brief look at the breakdown on where the Council Tax is allocated might take the wind out of your sails when you see how much the Council actually receive frpom that sum. The same, to an even greater extent, applies with Business rates.

I have no idea whether or not buying the Strand will prove to be good business or not as I'm not privy to all the facts, figures and projections - only time will tell.

[dav]

You really are struggling with this one aren't you

The only thing I struggle with is the paucity of your expectations of the council. Apparently you will settle for anything.