Readers’ Letters: 50p to pee? What next, charging for streetlights?

Readers’ Letters is a free weekly column giving you the chance to have your say on issues affecting the Harrogate district. It is an opinion column and does not reflect the views of the Stray Ferret. Send your views to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk.

This week, we published an article on council plans to charge for using public toilets in the Harrogate district. Here is what our readers had to say on the issue.

How can NYC 'lose' money by providing a service? Isn't providing a service what they exist to do? What's next, NYC will now charge for streetlights outside of houses or for collecting domestic refuse? It's absolutely ludicrous.

Colin Harrison

NY economy is heavily dependent on tourism. Tourists need toilets, as do local people. Provision of toilets may not be a statuary service but it is an essential one. Whilst I understand the need for NYC to to look for savings in order to balance the books but charging an extortionate fee for an essential service may not give the desired results and have adverse repercussions on some businesses.

Anne Richards

The difficulty I see is not having change to pay to go to the toilet. A credit card machine would have to be installed into the toilets.

Linda Potter

What if you don’t have a 50p? What do you do? The council are stating losses, but what about the council paying out compensation to builders that they have to pay for refusing building plans and pay consultants that they don’t use?

Leonard Redmond

Do you have an opinion on the Harrogate district? Email us at letters@thestrayferret.co.uk. Please include your name and approximate location details. Limit your letters to 350 words. We reserve the right to edit letters.

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