Dynamic pricing considered for Southport's public toilets
A Sefton Council report raises the possibility of increasing prices during major events for when people need to Viagogo
Hello and welcome to The Southport Lead.
Dynamic pricing - when costs are increased during times of high demand - has become a hot issue in recent years, most notably when tickets went on sale for the Oasis reunion tour and fans had no idea the cost would soar during queues which lasted several hours.
There are a few other areas it has been implemented but even the more cynical among did not expect it to be considered at public toilets - and yet here we are. Sefton Council says it has no plans to introduce dynamic pricing “at this time” - but a report seen by The Southport Lead suggests it will become a possibility.
That is the focus of the main story in today’s newsletter… and who says local journalism isn’t glamorous?
Southport briefing
🏥 A fresh investigation is being launched into the issue of NHS staff inappropriately looking up records of Southport attack victims. Dozens of workers were found to have searched records of those injured in the attack despite having no legitimate reason to have done so. The HSJ, which previously broke the news that staff at Aintree Hospital and North West Ambulance Service had been investigated for such actions, has now reported that NHS England is looking into the matter amid serious concerns about the duty of candour to those affected. The adult survivors and families of the children whose records were improperly searched were only told about the breaches when details were accidentally published on the website of the NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group and seen by journalists.
🦜 A second public meeting will be held to discuss efforts to save the Botanic Gardens Aviary. Southport MP Patrick Hurley has called the meeting to take place at 5pm on Wednesday in collaboration with the Botanic Gardens Community Association. He said it will allow people to share ideas on how to maintain the aviary - which Sefton Council says is closing for welfare reasons and will result in a saving of £60k a year - and to create a sustainable future for the park. The meeting will take place at a new location of St Cuthbert’s Church in Churchtown after demand for the previous one far exceeded capacity. Patrick Hurley, MP for Southport and the Northern Parishes, said: “The aviary is one of Southport’s most cherished local treasures, and the support to keep it open has been overwhelming. I’ve been working to ensure that we took on board your ideas, feedback and offers for support to develop a clear plan alongside our excellent volunteers, and we now feel in a position to ask for your support to help make the Botanic Gardens the best it can be, and work to keep the aviary open. If you can’t attend Wednesday’s meeting, we’ll be sharing details soon about how you can get involved with supporting the park, as well as showing your support for our aviary”
⛪ The former Banks Methodist Church could finally be brought back to use as a children’s day nursery. The church closed in 2021, after around 150 years, with the decline in worshipper numbers having been accelerated by the pandemic. Five years on, plans to reuse the building have finally been brought forward with a planning application submitted to West Lancashire Borough Council. If approved, the nursery will operate from 7.30am-6pm for children aged three months to five years and will also offer an after-school provision for up to 10 children. The application states: “The proposed nursery and after-school use represents a positive community use of Banks Methodist Church. It would provide an important local service while making effective use of an existing building. The revised after-school capacity of 10 children provides a modest and proportionate additional element to the main nursery operation. Subject to detailed design and the relevant statutory approvals, the proposal would provide a valuable facility for children and families in Banks and the surrounding area.
Dynamic pricing considered for Southport’s public toilets
By Jamie Lopez
Sefton Council has considered introducing dynamic pricing at its public toilets in Southport - but says it has no plans to do so “at this time”.
The authority is planning to introduce cardless payments at facilities such as those on the Promenade, the town centre and Hesketh Park and sees this as an opportunity to create variable pricing which would mean it can charge more during major events.
Dynamic pricing has become commonplace in recent years but remains a deeply controversial practice. It involves increasing costs when demand is higher and is more typically seen in ticket prices at music gigs and sporting events. It is also a key part of business models of companies such as Uber which use “surge pricing” at times of increased demand.
However, documents seen by The Southport Lead show the council is planning to introduce contactless payments at its toilets when it awards a new contract for maintenance and cleaning. The facilities covered in the new contract include those at the three Southport sites as well as three others across the borough.
A report due to go before the cabinet next week recommends that a new contract for cleaning and maintenance be awarded to Danfo UK, the company which installed the toilets and is currently responsible for its maintenance.
The report notes that “the services have been delivered over the years to a good standard” and that the new duties will include cleaning the toilets twice a day. It also states it will involve the introduction of contactless payments and, while the council says it has no plans to introduce dynamic pricing currently, the officer’s report makes it clear that this is an attractive prospect.
It states: “Under a new contract, the plan is to introduce contactless payment machines through capital funding, this will allow scope for future generation of income for services provided, for example, during events held across the borough, increased demand for public conveniences would allow the council the ability to adjust charges during peak periods, helping to cover the costs for the service maintenance.
“This would also give the council full access to live data by using a cloud-based platform, enhancing service monitoring and decision making.”
Cllr Mike Sammon represents Cambridge Ward which includes Hesketh Park and he has previously lobbied for improvements to the toilet facilities there as well as consulting with disability campaign group Southport Access For Everyone (SAFE) on needed improvements.
Alongside his fellow ward councillors, he convinced the council to extend the opening hours until 9pm earlier this year and has previously raised issues including broken taps and hand-dryers and missing toilets seats. While he has praised the council for responding to such issues, Cllr Sammon was left baffled by the prospect of it increasing fares at busier times.
He told The Southport Lead: “I actually couldn’t believe what I was reading when I saw that Sefton Council is considering surge pricing for public toilets. The council’s own report says the new system would allow prices to be increased at busy times, such as during public events.
