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Agenda item

Agenda item

To Approve and addition to the Capital Programme to Part Fund the installation of 4 new changing places toilets

(A report by Adrian Sibley, Deputy Chief Executive fro Delivery)

 

Portfolio Holder: Councillor Tracey Abbott

Minutes:

 

DECISION

 

1.         That the addition of £300K to the Capital Programme and use of £70k of Reserves to support the installation of 4 new changing places toilets be approved.

2.         That the installation of 4 new toilets within the town, 3 of which would be under the control of the Council, be agreed.

 

Portfolio Holders and Officer

 

Cllr Tracey Abbott

 

AS

 

 

REASON FOR DECISION

 

Councillor Tracey Abbott introduced a report by the Deputy Chief Executive– Programme Delivery, seeking agreement to accept a government grant of £210k to support the installation of four Changing Places toilets within the town centre area.

 

The report stated that Changing Places toilets were enhanced facilities, more accessible by severely disabled people who required additional support.  Approximately 14 million people nationally were living with long term illness, disabilities or impairments and an estimated 1 million of those required changing places toilets, with the number set to increase year on year.

 

As part of its commitment towards improving the quality of life for everyone, the Government announced last Spring that it would make £30m of funding available for the installation of new facilities for local authorities to bid for on a competitive basis.  Bids would be assessed on the quality of submissions, the amount of match funding, partnership working and the end destinations.

 

Following a consultation exercise with key members and stakeholders, a bid was submitted for funding to support the installation of 5 changing places toilets in and around the town centre at the sites of:

 

  • Central Park
  • Wide Bargate
  • Lincoln Lane
  • Blenkin Memorial Hall
  • Boston College 

 

The bids were all successful with the exception of the Boston College site which was not deemed to meet the criteria as it was classed as a new build and therefore not eligible.

 

The funding applications were heavily oversubscribed, and in March 2022 the Government announced that Boston would receive £210k of funding to support the installation of 4 toilets.  This compared to a total of £660k for the provision of 15 toilets within the South and East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership area and £920k for the whole of Lincolnshire for the provision of 23 toilets.

 

Latest market testing showed that costs of installation were approximately £75k per toilet.  This would require match funding of £23k per toilet.  However, the Blenkin Memorial Hall had agreed to meet its own costs above their allocation of £52k.  Therefore Cabinet was requested to support use of existing reserves of £70k for the project.

 

It was anticipated that the majority of revenue costs could be absorbed within existing budgets as the facilities were to be located adjacent to existing toilets so inspection costs would be accommodated within existing staff budgets.  Additional costs of repairs and maintenance, consumables and annual testing were not anticipated to be significant.

 

The initiative would contribute to enhancing the lives of everyone and was a positive step for the Council to take.  Installing the facilities in the town centre area also allowed for Boston to become an end destination for potential visitors and thereby improve the attraction of the town as a place to visit.

 

Members thanked the Deputy Chief Executive – Programme Delivery for the work that has been put into the initiative.

 

 

OTHER OPTIONS OR ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED

 

None.

 

 

RECORD OF ANY CONFLICT OF INTEREST

 

None.

 

 

RECORD OF ANY DISPENSATION GRANTED

 

None.

 

Supporting documents: