A22 public toilets known for ‘public sex acts’ will close
A Surrey A-road layby toilet block notorious for anti-social sexual behaviour is to permanently close. Surrey Police requested that the toilets in the A22 Godstone Hill layby be closed, because they have “become increasingly a focus for public sex acts”. Members of Tandridge District Council’s community services committee had previously discussed the toilets at a January meeting, and decided to keep the A22 facilities open until they became “unviable”.
Council documents showed there had been an increase in reported sexual behaviour at the site, with Surrey Police increasing patrols and a cleaner being threatened by alleged perpetrators having witnessed “such activities on numerous occasions”. Read more: A25 layby toilet notorious for sexual behaviour, drugs and vandalism to permanently close The committee met on Thursday (June 16) to consider the future of the toilets as part of an ongoing review of public conveniences in the borough.
The land the toilets are on, as well as the A25 Nag Hall toilets currently being demolished, will be returned to the county council, while questions remain on how to ensure adequate and affordable facilities for lorry drivers. The A22 toilets were closed for safety reasons on May 24, with officers estimating the cost of repairing the block to be in the region on GBP80,000. Councillor David Lee (Liberal Democrat, Whyteleafe ) asked about the conversations that had been had with Surrey County Council regarding provision for lorry drivers at the layby.
He referred to the January meeting, where members had heard it could cost as much as GBP29 per night for lorry drivers at the M25 Clacket Lane services which he called “incredibly expensive”. He said: “I am very worried that the reason that we have the toilets there is to ensure that, particularly, truck drivers have facilities to use within the district. “Have we had conversations to encourage Surrey County Council to offer a lower rate than Clacket Lane charging structure for longer term parking which could then enable them to pay for toilets on that site?
“[This would] ensure that there is at least some facility for the truck drivers to use, because the last thing we really want to be doing is clearing up what they leave if there aren’t toilets there.” Officers confirmed that the district council was in conversation with Surrey Highways, and also looking at National Highways funding for lorry driver welfare too. Council officers are continuing to review public toilets at Whyteleafe Recreation Ground and Ellice Road in Oxted, as well as measuring usage at seven sites.
A public consultation on improvements to toilets at Queens Park closes on June 24.