Our second Have Your Say section on the Rottingdean Village website we will be looking at the proposal of non-gender specific toilets on Rottingdean seafront. We have an opinion on this topic by a local Tudor Close resident:
P,C, W.Cs. I learned with horror that as a Parish Council taxpayer I will be supporting the financing of non gender specific public conveniences in Rottingdean at a shared cost of £140,000 with Brighton Council. I accept that the undercliff toilets needed renovation but this scheme is absolutely ridiculous and if those of the population are not certain from one day to the next what sex they are, then they can use either the traditional ‘ladies’ or ‘gents’ as the fancy takes them. Once again this is political correctness gone mad. The minority is more important than the majority and the Council – and Parish Council – seems to ignore how broad minded and tolerant the populace at large is which obviates inflicting doctrinaire political correctness on it. As a payer of Parish Council tax, I received no prior advice regarding this proposed redevelopment asking my opinion of the scheme and had II done so would have been very much against such folly. I was one of the relatively few who took the trouble to vote in the Parish Council elections and if this is the way things are going in the future very much regret those who have been elected to represent Rottingdean
This topic has caused quite a stir in the press as well as in our village:
In the Telegraph
In The Argus
In the Daily Mail
In TNT Magazine
What do you think? Is this an issue or is the most important point that we are getting the toilets that we so desperately need? Have your say below in the comments.
Folly? What on earth difference does it make. It is proven fact that toilets that are for everyone’s use incurr less crime. Disabled people have been sharing toilets for all time. Have we in any way been disadvantaged? No. It’s a toilet that you pee in. Get a grip for heavens sake.
I for one am really pleased at the introduction of gender neutral toilets.
Will there be a dedicated breastfeeding area, or are women expected to breastfeed in a general toilet with a queue waiting outside, or else be pressured into feeding in public when they might not feel comfortable with that?
Copy of e-mail sent to our MP recently plus his reply (from the council)
Dear Mr. Kirby,
Is there anything you can do to prevent Brighton and Hove Council proceeding with their plans for the refurbishment of the public toilets on the seafront at Rottingdean. The toilets have to be reburbished, and it would appear from the current state of them that it is practically a rebuild. Obviously I am not objecting to toilets, but what I strongly object to is “gender neutral” toilets.
In fact last week the plan featured in a full page (derogaroty!) article by Richard Littlejohn in the Daily Mail.
I agree with Mr. Littlejohn, I can’t believe the majority of women, especially those with young children, will relish the idea of sharing public toilets with men! And I can’t believe tourists to the area will be overly impressed either!
If Brighton and Hove council want to display their acceptance of all things “trans gender” as Mr. Littlejohn puts it, they could convert some of the toilets in KempTown to “gender neutral”. Rottingdean sea front is definitely not the right place for the first “gender neutral” toilet block to be built in the UK.
Kind regards (and sorry to have to write to you again!)
Gillian Budd
Council Response
Dear Mr Kirby,
Thank you for getting in touch concerning the new public toilets being provided at Rottingdean Undercliff.
The new toilet facilities being provided will include one fully accessible unit as well as three gender neutral units.
The term gender neutral replaces the term unisex only. It does not mean that different genders will be sharing the same toilet at the same time. The design at Rottingdean Undercliff will be single units where you will enter and have complete privacy. They are designed for anyone to use, whatever their gender. We don’t tend to use any terms on signage as we use widely recognisable symbols instead.
We have been using this design for some time now on new toilets as it gives a higher sense of safety as well as increased privacy.
I’ve included below an image of what it will look like. People will enter directly into each of the units from the outside.
Please let me know if I can offer any more information or explanation.
Many thanks.
Do those who object intend not to use the loos because they see themselves as “gender specific”? Surely a loo is gender neutral. My understanding is that there are urinals which are intended for male only use and the sit-down type which are unisex or “gender neutral” – and the latter are what are being installed together with baby changing facilities – a sensible and practical solution suitable for our times.
The signage is merely a visual (and factual) description of this gender neutrality. The cost of renovation and installation is a separate issue – but we should accept that such improvements come at a cost and that our councilors have worked hard for the best possible deal. Either we have new loos and improve facilities for locals and much needed visitors to the village, or not, and suffer the consequences.
We have waited a long time for these new loos and together with the development of Rottingdean Terraces & Stage – another long overdue development for our seafront – the village will have seen two of the most significant improvements in its amenities in recent times.
Our thanks should go to those who have helped achieve these results.
What a storm in a tea cup (or toilet bowl!)
Are there people in Rottingdean who never use toilets on trains, aeroplanes, modern work places, other people’s homes, other countries? They need to to get out more and visit 21st century Planet Earth and discover that Unisex toilets are now the norm.
Victorian rows of smelly gents’ urinals are surely a relic of the past!
I would guess that the ‘Negatives’ in our community have never even used a Unisex toilet and if ever they venture as far as the sea front and try one out I am sure their fears will be dispelled.
But alas they will only find something else on which to focus their negative energies..
Residents may remember that our charity, PARC, paid for a new block of toilets to be built at Rottingdean Recreation Ground some years ago. During the planning stages I researched the best features to discourage the anti-social behaviour that has afflicted old fashioned public toilets and it is clear that unisex toilets with a family friendly feel are the best way forward. If you want to see what unisex toilets are like go to the loos at the Rec.
Dispensing with single sex toilets with cubicles and a communal area with sinks really does deter all sorts of abuse and helps reduce queues. Whether the term “gender neutral” or unjisex is used makes no difference. PARC can say that this design has proved to be a success and this design has been in use for 10 years with few problems.
I hope this is a helpful contribution.
Cathy Taylor
Cathy, how can it reduce queues when there are less toilets overall? That’s one of the biggest issues with unisex toilets, is that they generally result in less toilets overall.