The web Upton website
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The web Upton website |
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Malvern Gazette 11th May 2007
Tory pledge over the public toilets PUBLIC toilets in Upton could be reopened in time for the summer tourist season after the Conservatives took control of Malvern Hills District Council in last week's elections. Following the Tories' landslide victory leader Serena Croad immediately pledged to come good on a pre-election promise to reopen the Lower High Street toilets, which were closed following a controversial vote in spring 2006. Coun Croad met council officers this week and plans to get the wheels in motion at the first possible opportunity by bringing a resolution to executive committee on May 22. 'We don't want to raise people's expectations by saying they will be re-open tomorrow, but it is not going to take months' she said. The news has delighted traders and tourism officials in Upton, who feel the closure of the toilets has made Upton less welcoming to visitors, and had an impact on events in the town. Upton Folk Festival organiser Richard Hannah said it would be a tremendous positive to have the toilets open for next year's event. 'It's great news and good to hear the council is finally seeing sense', he said. 'For the second year running we've had people asking for directions to the other toilets and using facilities in pubs and restaurants, which isn't really fair on them', he added. Graham Bunn, landlord of the Kings Head, where two protest rallies against the closure were held, said reopening the toilets would be good news for Upton's pubs and restaurants. 'The opinion is still that they should never have been closed in the first place, but this is good news for ourselves and other pubs', he said. ================================== Opinion WE were expecting the Conservatives to takeover as the leading group on Malvern Hills District Council, but the scale of the victory last Thursday took everyone by surprise. For the Lib Dem group, which had been the largest on the council, to end the night with only five of 38 seats was an astonishing reversal of fortune. Lib Dem leader Di Rayner began the evening hoping to retain control of the council, and ended it having lost her seat, together with deputy leader Clive Smith. The importance of the closure of public toilets was an issue the Lib Dems never seem to have understood. The reason it touched such a raw nerve is because people are fed up with their Council Tax going up and up, while they can see no corresponding improvement in service, in this case the council couldn't even maintain this most basic of services. The way the Lib Dems forced the closure through by voting as a group, and in the process ignoring local concern, introduced a level of politics into local government which most people just don't feel comfortable with. The Conservatives previously lost control of the council through not listening, threatening to sell-off the theatre, not building the sports hall, they need to learn the lesson. Now, with new and enthusiastic young councillors and some of those who have helped turn around Malvern Town Council's finances, they have a real opportunity of bringing new drive and energy to the work of the council. |