Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 25th April 2024 Issue no. 1111

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Lack of loos hikes up cleaning costs

Truckers' Toilets UK Campaign's Gillian Kemp has alerted us to an item in the Express & Star, which describes how Stafford's Street Scene team has to clean up Prime Point Business Park off the A34 several times a week - a task that is adding over £7,000 to annual costs - simply because there aren't any toilet facilities.

Apparently, those in need are using the Sainsbury's lorry park provided by the borough council, to answer the call of nature.

This problem is not a new one. According to a story in a March edition of the Staffordshire Newsletter, local businesses were calling for urgent action back then to put an end to "scores of" lorry drivers using the business park as a toilet and rubbish dump.

In it, County Councillor Frank Chapman is quoted as saying: "We have a massive problem with lorries parking overnight and drivers using the verge area as a toilet. It's disgusting. That development is a showcase site for us and we are going to drive business away by not maintaining it to a proper standard."

Creswell Parish Council clerk Lisa Horritt is also quoted in the article. She said: "Creswell Parish Council is currently working with the local businesses and agencies affected to attempt to find a solution and will be holding a meeting this month.

"The council continues to work with Streetscene to ensure that the litter and other pollutants are cleared from the area. Additional bins have been installed and are emptied on a very regular basis by the team."

Phil Drury, head of business at Stafford Audi in Hurricane Close, told the publication: "They're always parking here. They leave loads of rubbish behind and it just builds up. There's broken glass, cigarettes, food wrappers, all sorts. It's an eyesore for customers and they take up so much parking; it's just unreal."

Creighton Parry, commercial director for Direct Van Hire's national centre, in Spitfire Close, believes this is a national problem.

"It is happening at industrial estates across the country and I don't know of anywhere that has found a solution," he told the publication. "The HGV drivers either have nowhere to park or the parking areas are too expensive. It causes access problems but there's also litter like dumped food and packaging and in some cases lorry drivers use the area as a loo."

Gillian Kemp has contacted Councillor Sutherland to find out whether anything is going to be done to alleviate the problems, The Councillor is quoted in the latest article as saying that he is in discussion with local businesses to try and resolve the situation and that: "Toilet facilities are a basic requirement," (Ed: At the time of writing Gillian was still awaiting a response and I was attempting to work out the clean-up costs nationally, if it's costing just one business park £7,000 a year).

To sign the petition calling for lorry drivers to be given clean, working facilities that meet minimum standards, visit:
www.change.org
www.facebook.com

1st October 2015