Topical Talk – Follow-Up Discussion of Toilets on Isle Of Wight
Tuesday 6th September 2016 – 3 – 5 pm
We began the meeting with an update on microbeads.
- Waitrose has announced that they are going to stop sales of any products containing microbeads.
- The Government is going to ban the use of microbeads in beauty products but not in cleaning products etc.
- JCh reminded us that even biodegradable plastics will still reduce down to microbeads. We need to continue to discuss ways to avoid using any plastics especially single use items.
Toilets
We considered the possibility of submitting a resolution to NFWI. Sally had produced an excellent draft. This needed to be decided quickly as the deadline was 14th September. After debating whether we wanted to focus on local or national issues we realised that it need not be an either or situation. However we decided not to submit a resolution at this late stage but were quite buoyed up by the prospect of doing so in the future.
On the IOW 80% of the public toilets are now the responsibility of the Parish Councils and local precepts have risen, however, we are still concerned about the lack of facilities in local tourist areas especially at St Helen’s Beach and also at the RNLI station, where only one is in use and were not compliant with planning regulations when built. This is in contrast to our recent experiences in tourist spots on the mainland especially the exemplary examples photographed by JCo at Woolacombe Bay.
We believe that there has got to be an Island-wide strategic plan to promote the tourism and that this must include the provision of good quality public toilets.
Our strategic plan is …
- To contact all Island WIs asking for information about the toilets in their area. Where are they? When are they open? Is information about opening given? Is there advice about where to go if closed? Should more be provided? Are they up to standard – Would you be happy to use them?
- To propose to the committee that Alan Marriot from Fight for the Wight be invited to speak at one of our meetings. ( action – GR)
- Continue fact finding by contacting Destination Island to see if they are including toilet provision in their campaigns and also contact WI Island Federation Public Affairs Committee (who knew there was one?) for advice. (action – JCh)
- Research the work of the British Toilet Association. (action – whole group).
Date of the next meeting – Tuesday 18th October 3-5 pm at JCh’s
Topics for Discussion: Involvement in the current WI resolutions (1) Food Waste and (2) Dementia Care in Hospitals. Packs are to be sent to each WI with information on how to support the campaigns.
Issues that may also be of interest are …the possible changes to the funding of Attendance Allowance and information on Doctors’ Funding.