Janet Finch-Saunders, Member of the Welsh Parliament for Aberconwy, has raised serious concerns that Conwy County Borough Council (CCBC) may not have adhered to its duty to prepare and publish a local toilets strategy by May 2019.
Part 8 of the Public Health (Wales) Act 2017 (‘the Act’) introduced provision of toilets and specifically local toilets strategies. The intended effect was to ensure each local authority in Wales assessed the needs of its community in relation to toilets, and then took a strategic and transparent approach to best meet that need.
Further to writing to Mr Rhun Ap Gareth, Chief Executive, requesting a copy of the strategy, the Member has received a response in which she has been advised that the current draft will be consulted on over the next two months, following which, a report will be prepared which is programmed for the Economy & Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee, on 27 September 2023.
Commenting on the Local Authority’s 4 year delay in preparing and publishing the strategy, Janet said:
“Accessibility of toilets across the constituency is a concern often raised by residents.
“One of the reasons for the strategy was to assess the community’s need for toilets, including changing facilities for babies and changing places facilities for people with disabilities, and provide details as to how the needs are going to be met.
“Residents and visitors have been let down by the Local Authority’s 4 year delay, and what seems to be a clear failure to meet a statutory deadline.
“Unfortunately, the Welsh Government did not make it a requirement for the strategies to be presented to them for approval. I suspect that should that have been the case, Conwy Council would now have a published toilet strategy.”
ENDS
Mae Janet Finch-Saunders, Aelod o’r Senedd ros Aberconwy, wedi codi pryderon difrifol nad yw Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Conwy (CCBC) o bosibl wedi cadw at ei ddyletswydd i baratoi a chyhoeddi strategaeth toiledau lleol erbyn mis Mai 2019.
Cyflwynodd Rhan 8 o Ddeddf Iechyd y Cyhoedd (Cymru) 2017 ('y Ddeddf') ddarpariaeth ar gyfer toiledau ac yn benodol strategaethau toiledau lleol. Yr effaith fwriadol oedd sicrhau bod pob awdurdod lleol yng Nghymru yn asesu anghenion ei gymuned mewn perthynas â thoiledau ac yna’n gweithredu dull strategol a thryloyw o ddiwallu'r angen hwnnw yn y ffordd orau.
Yn dilyn ysgrifennu at Mr Rhun ap Gareth, Prif Weithredwr, yn gofyn am gopi o'r strategaeth, mae'r Aelod wedi derbyn ymateb lle dywedwyd wrthi y bydd ymgynghori ar y drafft presennol yn digwydd dros y ddau fis nesaf, ac yn dilyn hynny, bydd adroddiad yn cael ei baratoi a fydd wedi'i raglennu ar gyfer Pwyllgor Trosolwg a Chraffu yr Economi a Lleoedd, ar 27 Medi 2023.
Wrth sôn am oedi 4 blynedd yr Awdurdod Lleol wrth baratoi a chyhoeddi'r strategaeth, dywedodd Janet:
"Mae hygyrchedd toiledau ar draws yr etholaeth yn bryder sy'n cael ei godi'n aml gan drigolion.
"Un o'r rhesymau dros y strategaeth oedd asesu angen y gymuned am doiledau gan gynnwys cyfleusterau newid i fabanod a chyfleusterau newid i bobl ag anableddau, a rhoi manylion ynglŷn â sut y bydd yr anghenion yn cael eu diwallu.
"Mae trigolion ac ymwelwyr wedi cael eu siomi gan oedi o bedair blynedd yr Awdurdod Lleol, a'r hyn sy'n ymddangos yn fethiant clir i gwrdd â therfyn amser statudol.
"Yn anffodus, ni wnaeth Llywodraeth Cymru ei gwneud yn ofynnol i'r strategaethau gael eu cyflwyno i'w cymeradwyo. Rwy'n amau pe bai hynny wedi bod yn wir, byddai Cyngor Conwy wedi cyhoeddi strategaeth toiledau erbyn hyn.”
DIWEDD
