Town centre toilets remain closed

Moves which would have seen the mothballed St Magnus Lane toilets – in the centre of Kirkwall – reopened, failed to win support in the council chamber again yesterday, with the decision taken that a working group be formed to help address the issue of public toilet provision in the town centre.

The long running issue of was subject to a petition signed by 2,800 handed to the OIC just last week, in support of reopening the toilets.
The toilets were closed in 2010 in a cost-cutting move, and the council has previously said there are no funds available to get the public convenience up-and-running again.

However, with an increase in tourism in the town due to a swell in visiting cruise liner passengers especially, and various initiatives to encourage more local people to support town centre businesses, there has been increasing calls for the facility to be reopened.

At the end of a series of votes at the OIC development and infrastructure committee on Tuesday, a motion by council vice-convener Jim Foubister, backed by Councillor Maurice Davidson, that a short-term working group be formed to discuss toilet provision and improved sinage for existing toilets in central Kirkwall won the day. This was despite a move spearheaded by Councillor Leslie Manson to have them reopened.

That working group would include OIC councillors and officers, members of the Kirkwall BID – who had organised the petition to get the toilets reopened – VisitOrkney, and the Orkney Tourism Group.