Public Conveniences
Lower High Street

Peter Webb, Vice-chairman Upton Tourism & Trade Association
Address to MHDC council meeting 28th February 2006

Good evening Mr. Chairman and Councillors My name is Peter Webb I am Vice Chairman of the Upton upon Severn Tourism and Trade Association. The name of our Association is important, as you will note that the word tourism comes before Trade. This is indeed the case as our town relies very heavily on the income it receives from its visitors. We are proud to have a thriving community of shops and businesses but they all depend upon the influx of tourists both during the summer and increasingly the winter. Our festivals, in particular The Jazz and Water Festivals attract many people to the town from around the world. In particular I have received a communication from The Chairman of the Upton Folk Festival, who describes these facilities as a 'vital facility'. This facility is used not only by the tourists but also by people who come to town to do their shopping or to simply stroll along the river. Unfortunately you have decided to close the only practical public convenience in the town, that in Lower High Street.  It is here that most coaches drop off their visitors before parking in The Hanley Road car park. The conveniences in Hanley road are fine for the coach drivers but not for their passengers, many of whom are children, elderly or disabled. The Hanley Road convenience is at least a quarter of a mile from the town centre and not, as you said in your reply to one of our Town councillors, in the shopping centre. Once the coach owners discover there are no facilities for their customers they will decide to seek other destinations and we, in Upton upon Severn will lose the valuable trade this brings. May I remind you of the amount of money you receive from Upton upon Severn by way of fees and commissions on our festivals, in excess of £10,000 per annum. My Association, whom you do not seem fit to consult, represent over 95% of the traders and business people in the town, people who employ the majority of working residents. Furthermore no representations have been made to The Town Council or the people of Upton upon Severn as to the disposal of these premises, owned by the Parish, or to the dispersal of funds if such an unacceptable proposal should be adopted. We request copies of documents which show how the toilet building was acquired and details of your method of public consultation . In the meantime we ask you to come forward with proposals for further discussions and to keep these facilities open and available to visitors and residents of the town, not only in the summer period but all year round.   All of these people have a vote and I believe the People of Upton upon Severn, your electorate, deserve a voice. I trust you will re consider your decision to close our public convenience. May I now briefly talk to you not as a representative of the Upton Tourist and Trade Association but as an individual. I invite each of you to come to The Lower High Street on Saturday 4th March and we will provide one Councillor with a wheelchair or a set of crutches or a small child. You are to make your way unaided to the Hanley Road Toilets, and then see if you agree that they provide suitable facilities for a busy town!!