In response to Cllr Loakes (High Price for Public Toilets, Guardian, January 16) he raises some very good points regarding funding for public toilets.
However, I think it a bit rich for him to be talking about what we can and can`t afford after his council earmarked £130,000 for this year's fireworks, spent £610,000 on Town Hall refurbishments, including an Apprentice-style boardroom, and recently increased his own special responsibility allowance by £5000.
On the subject of the Town Hall, Cllr Loakes must surely agree with me that it is utterly disgraceful that for all the talk of the community toilet scheme (which was introduced by the Liberal Democrats) members of the public are not actually allowed to use the toilets in their own Town Hall should they be caught short.
This is not a cost issue, it's an issue of poor management and blaming public sector cuts on this state of affairs is simply disingenuous.
A similar argument exists for the unnecessary closure of Harrow Green Library where local families have been denied access to their community library, due to Cllr Loakes and his poor local economics.
Patrick C Smith, Higham Hill, Liberal Democrat Focus
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