Please support our campaign to protect the public toilets in St Ann’s Well Gardens, which are under threat of closure by Brighton & Hove City Council.
BHCC tell us that “due to unprecedented budget pressures the closure of the toilets in St Ann’s (and some other public toilets) have to be considered.”
We think this would be a disaster for St Ann’s Well Gardens and all users of the tennis courts. You can help by signing the petition here, and/or emailing our local ward councillors:
Marianna Ebel: Marianna.Ebel@brighton-hove.gov.uk
Jackie O’Quinn: Jackie.o’quinn@brighton-hove.gov.uk
Make your voice heard! This needs to be done ahead of the council’s ETS committee meeting this Tuesday.
According to The Argus: “More than a dozen public toilets could be closed under controversial plans outlined by the council. Proposals could see the budget for the city’s public toilets cut by around a third – around £300,000 – with 18 sites closed from April 1.” The loos in St Ann’s Well Gardens are included on the list.” Full story
Blakers Park, Brighton
Greenleas, Hove
Hollingbury Park, Brighton
King Alfred, Hove seafront
Preston Park Chalet, Brighton
Queen’s Park Play Area, Brighton
Rottingdean Recreation Ground
Saltdean Oval
St Ann’s Well Gardens, Hove
Only 16 public toilets around public toilets would remain open across Brighton and Hove, with seven closed during the winter.
Nancy Platts, former council leader and Labour’s spokeswoman for the environment, transport and sustainability, said: “I know I speak for many residents when I express my outrage at the council’s plans to force through more public toilet closures, without consulting anybody and with no regard for public health, our park cafes or our tourist economy.
“I recognise the seriousness of the budget situation after 12 years of Tory cuts, but surely there are other ways to make savings and residents should have been consulted first.
“This is a false economy that undermines the council’s own public health initiatives. The plan is ill-thought through with no alternative provision near to some of the planned closures.”
St Ann’s Tennis CIC has contacted local councillors to highlight the problems this will cause among the local tennis community:
“I am writing on behalf of the tennis players of St Ann’s Well Gardens regarding the threat to close the public toilet block in the park. We are very keen to see the toilet block next to the Garden Cafe stay open.
We have thousands of players visiting the courts every year, including juniors for age 4 upwards, disability tennis groups, and adults of all ages, backgrounds and standards. All rely on the public loo block in St Ann’s Well Gardens, which is a 1 minute walk away from the tennis courts.
St Ann’s Tennis, nominated for Parks Club Of The Year in the 2023 Tennis Sussex awards, is a busy community hub for local tennis players, offering affordable and well-maintained tennis facilities to local people. We run year-round groups with local nurseries and school, all of which make regular use of the public loos in the the park.
On a typical day in summer, we host children’s holiday camps for 30-40 children, running every morning 9am to midday. This will normally involve at least two ‘pee breaks’ for a dozen or more children. Where will they go if the loos are closed? Our courts host junior and adult tournaments, from beginner level up to top LTA-sanctioned junior competitions. We cannot do that if there are no public toilet facilities available.
As the person responsible for the care and maintenance of the courts, I also use the loos there on a regular basis. Their general cleanliness and reliability are much appreciated, and I don’t know how we’d manage without them. – Conrad Brunner”
