A STONEHAVEN businesswoman is petitioning Aberdeenshire Council to reconsider its decision to close the beach toilets – a move which will see the matter being discussed at next Thursday’s meeting of the Business Services Committee.
Summer has begun in Stonehaven – the seafront is lined with motor homes and cruise ships are sending their passengers by the coachload. This brings the happy sight of fish and chip munching holiday-makers and families queuing for ice-creams.
But it is not all good news. Like other seafront properties, Molly’s Cafe Bar is on the front-line of an increasing assault by visitor numbers – tourists who are encouraged to visit our town, but for whom there is a lack of essential conveniences. The Men’s Shed, Molly’s Cafe Bar and Scallywags are all repeatedly approached by desperate visitors in need of a loo.
Molly’s owner Janice Langdon told The Bellman: ”Running a business at the beach front is challenging enough these days without the constant barrage of people coming in to my restaurant asking to use our toilet facilities.
”I installed toilets at a hefty cost for the use of my customers and staff. I have seen in numerous occasions a queue of people blocking our door entrance waiting to use our toilets. This is unfair for my customers trying to enjoy a meal, myself, staff and indeed people desperate to relieve themselves.”
It is perhaps a little known fact but Aberdeenshire residents can petition the Council to address a matter of concern. Faced with another year of inconvenience, Mrs Langdon set about gathering the 100 signatures required to ask the Business Services Committee to have a rethink on Stonehaven’s public toilet provision.
The petition asks the Council to reconsider the decision to close the beach toilets in Stonehaven. You can view the submission form in the pane below or by using the link.
Mrs Langdon said she will address the committee to state her case and make a plea for the toilet block to be put back in action.
She said: ”Public toilets are a necessity which we all require in our daily lives. The beach front is one area in our town which has a very large footfall especially in the summer months.
”We all encourage tourists/visitors to come to our lovely town and we do require these public conveniences.”
Having read the submission and heard from Mrs Langdon, the councillors can decided to either just note the petition and take no action – or, they can instruct a report from the Head of Property and Facilities on the subject matter of the petition.
The Business Services Committee has members from across the Shire. It is chaired by Banff representative Stuart Adams. If you would like to support Mrs Langdon by contacting him and his colleagues, their contact details are:
cllr.s.adams@aberdeenshire.gov.uk; cllr.j.goodhall@aberdeenshire.gov.uk; cllr.d.aitchison@aberdeenshire.gov.uk; cllr.s.burnett@aberdeenshire.gov.uk; cllr.p.chapman@aberdeenshire.gov.uk; cllr.y.chouturvey@aberdeenshire.gov.uk; cllr.j.cox@aberdeenshire.gov.uk; cllr.s.dickinson@aberdeenshire.gov.uk; cllr.e.durno@aberdeenshire.gov.uk; cllr.m.findlater@aberdeenshire.gov.uk; cllr.r.mckail@aberdeenshire.gov.uk; cllr.g.petrie@aberdeenshire.gov.uk; cllr.c.victor@aberdeenshire.gov.uk; cllr.j.whyte@aberdeenshire.gov.uk
The meeting agenda with the full report on Mrs Langdon’s petition can be found online,
