Please carry out the refurbishment works to the Lionmede Park toilets in Chelmsford so they can be re-opened.
Why is this important?
Chelmsford Council have had to close the public toilets in Lionmede park. They need to repair the underground waste pipes that have become damaged by the roots of nearby trees. But they've told us they won't do this unless they see public support.
It is the only park nearby with toilets. It also has a kids play area, tennis courts, benches, picnic tables, goal posts and dog waste bins. Access to clean, hygienic toilets fulfils an important requirement for health and well-being, social inclusion and public decency.
So many people locally benefit from those toilets being open including parents and children in the neighbourhood, older people living nearby, local people with a disability or health conditions such as IBS and prostate issues, pregnant ladies, dogwalkers, local childminders and local holiday clubs.
The Lionmede park toilets are also used by people on their way into town from further afield if they're on foot or cycling. Knowing there are facilities on the way into town can make people feel more confident about using sustainable travel rather than getting in the car.
The toilets at Lionmede Park even have a parking space, which is useful for local taxi drivers, ice cream van drivers and delivery drivers who spend a lot of time in their vehicles and struggle to park in the city centre for a quick break.
6 of the 13 public toilets across Chelmsford have been closed by the Council in the since 2012.
