Public toilet situation is simply not good enough

Being very close to the Folk Museum, I was concerned at what impression visitors would have of Guernsey and its people after seeing this. The sign on the wall stated that the cleaning company visited between 06.00 and 10.00 but I very much doubt they had been there that morning.

I have heard tales of other public toilets being in a less-than-clean condition since this job was privatised and wonder whether the company concerned can do the job properly within the terms of their contract. There is no doubt that the state I saw the toilets in was down to dirty individuals, who, among other things, could not even be bothered to use the flush after use and one must wonder what sort of state their houses are in.

The next day, down the Bridge at South Side, I saw that the harbour authority has stolen public parking spaces at Le Crocq and allocated them for Guernsey Boatowners Association members and I believe they are charging a fee for using these spaces. Perhaps Mr Murray and his cohorts could use some of this extra cash to reopen the South Side toilets, which were another casualty of the Financial Transformation Programme.

TREVOR HOCKEY,

Trev's Motorcycles.

Editor's footnote: A spokesperson for the Treasury and Resources Department responds: 'The public toilets at Saumarez Park are cleaned twice a day, morning and afternoon. There are signs in the toilets indicating the frequency of the cleans and in this area they are normally cleaned around 8am and again at 2pm. On this occasion, our contractor informs us that the cleaners' van suffered a puncture, delaying the clean until approximately 10.30am.

The public conveniences are inspected weekly by States Property Services at varying times to ensure that the terms of the cleaning and maintenance contract are being met by the contractor. On the whole, the department is satisfied that the standards required in the specification are being achieved.

There are signs posted within the toilets which give an indication of when the toilets are cleaned and a number to call should the toilets be found in an unsatisfactory condition. Our contractor was not contacted on this occasion.'

Harbour master Captain Chad Murray also responds: 'For the benefit of your readers, the place your correspondent refers to as Le Crocq is the area behind the clock tower on the south side of the Bridge. With the exception of a small section of five-hour disc-zone parking, which is still there, the entire area is and always has been under the control of Guernsey Harbours. It has traditionally been used for boat lay-ups, and because demand for that is seasonal, in the past some space has been available for parking at some times during the year, but 'unofficially'.

In recent years, we received a lot of complaints about the appearance of this area, because it had become misused. That includes cars and other equipment being abandoned there. Rather than stealing anything, as your correspondent suggests, Guernsey Harbours has taken steps to tidy up the area and exercise more control over its use to ensure lasting improvement. The feedback that we have received has been nothing but positive.

No official public parking has been removed – nor are we aware that there is a particular issue with availability of parking at the Bridge generally. However, at the request of customers, a section at Le Crocq is also now reserved for members of the Guernsey Boatowners Association. That is a good, practical use for the area.

As for the revenue raised, everyone can rest assured that all income received by Guernsey Harbours goes towards delivering and maintaining the services and facilities we provide, from marinas for leisure boating to lifeline freight services – including 98% of the island's imports and exports.'