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Moray councillor Derek Ross calls for public toilet on Speyside Way to be saved


By Alistair Whitfield

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A PLEA has been issued not to close the only remaining public toilet along the Moray stretch of the Speyside Way.

Derek Ross complaining about the closure of only toilet on Moray's part of the Speyside Way...Picture: Becky Saunderson..
Derek Ross complaining about the closure of only toilet on Moray's part of the Speyside Way...Picture: Becky Saunderson..

Derek Ross (Independent, Speyside/Glenlivet) is calling on his Moray Council colleagues to reverse their decision to shut the facility at Ballindalloch.

Moray Council's SNP administration, supported by some Independents, voted on February 12 to close a total of 14 public toilets across Moray, including facilities in Elgin's Cooper Park and Grant Park in Forres.

That decision will save the local authority £63,000 over the next two years.

However, cllr Ross claims it will cost the council far more in terms of its reputation both with tourists and local tax payers.

He said: "People are going to wonder why they still bother to pay council tax.

"The council now no longer cuts much of the grass. It now no longer provides school crossing patrollers. And now it's not even going to provide public toilets across large parts of Moray."

In recent months Moray Council has been calling for local companies to join a 'comfort scheme' and allow the public to use their toilets

Cllr Ross states that so far, however, only Aberlour Library and Aberlour Hotel have signed up across the whole of Speyside.

Moray Council has also requested that local communities follow the example of Lossiemouth, Craigellachie and Cullen and look after their own loos.

But Cllr Ross claims the council remains the logical organisation in Moray to deal with the toilets.

He said: "Economies of scale mean they can do it much cheaper than an individual communities can.

"And in a place like Ballindalloch there just aren't enough people to look after a toilet on a long-term basis.

"If we're serious about Moray being a growing tourist destination then we should be opening more toilets rather than closing them.

"And we really, really shouldn't be closing the one in Ballindalloch.

"I mean, how can you seriously ask someone to come to Moray to walk the Speyside Way, and then not provide them with a public toilet."

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