Calls for deep clean of all Brighton and Hove public toilets

Labour councillor Chris Henry is calling for a thorough wash of all Brighton and Hove toilets "before the summer kicks off". 

The number of visitors making a beeline for the city could be "higher than ever before" due to restrictions on foreign travel, a council report predicts.

Cllr Henry said: “I’ve written to the Chair of the Environment Committee to ask that all public toilets receive a deep-clean before the summer staycation boom I'm expecting us to see in the city.

“Let's give residents and tourists a great experience on the seafront and that includes not forcing them to suffer unhygienic and foul public loos. 

Labour councillor Chris Henry outside the Hove Lawns seafront toilets

The rise in staycations last summer meant Brighton was able to withstand a severe blow to its economy, compared with other places.

Brighton businesses were able to benefit from tourism and people taking staycations in the city, as the economy opened up following the first nationwide lockdown.

This year is expected to be even busier, providing a needed lifeline to struggling businesses, forced to cope with coronavirus measures over winter and spring.

Earlier this year, Brighton and Hove City Council released a series of proposals to counter and cope with this expected influx of people.

The March report featured a proposal to introduce more toilets. The following month, 24 more seafront portaloos available 24/7 were installed.

Cllr Henry's calls for a deep-clean ahead of the "staycation boom" come as a reader picture reveals horrible mess spotted in the Hove Lagoon loos.

The grotesque sight was spotted last month by a resident, appalled to find the facilities “in a most unacceptable state of filth; and not for the first time”.

The council pays the cleaning contractor Healthmatic £676,000 a year to clean, maintain and refurbish the city’s 37 public toilets.

Brighton and Hove City Council says the incident is a “simple case” of either someone not bothering to clean up after themselves, or not being able to.

A council spokesman said: “Hove Lagoon toilets are cleaned four times a day, every day, and our contractor does its best to ensure the loos are kept in a fit, useable state.

“It’s very unlikely they would do this in their own home, but sadly are happy to leave this kind of mess for the next person who wants to use the toilet.

“The only way to stop this is to have a permanent cleaning person at every one of our 36 toilet blocks every minute of every day they are open.

“This does happen at some of our busiest toilets, but to extend 12 hour cover to every toilet would be at a huge annual cost to the council and council tax payers.”

The spokesman added: “The overall cleanliness and hygiene of our public toilets, plus ensuring there is running water and enough loo roll or soap for example, is our responsibility.

“Unfortunately we cannot legislate for how people clean up after themselves, or the state they leave the toilet in, but we will always clean up the mess as soon as we see it.”

The 24 temporary toilets will be in place for 18 weeks until the beginning of September.

They will be cleaned three times a day at the weekends, Bank Holidays and school holidays, and twice on weekdays.

The council says people are encourage people to carry their own supplies where possible “just in case”.