A six month trial to levy charges at public toilets in Richmondshire will begin in July.
Members of Full Council have agreed to test the scheme at three facilities – each with different usage – which they hope will give them a broad view of how charging would affect all 14 public toilets in the district.
They agreed to a recommendation from Corporate Board who said that levying a charge of 20p a visit could generate another £157,000 in income for the authority.
In the last 12 months the 14 locations – in Hawes, Reeth, Richmond, Muker, Leyburn, Middleham, Gunnerside, Keld, Catterick Garrison, Bainbridge, Grinton and Langthwaite – were used 987,659 times.
A pilot scheme will run from July until December this year at Nuns Close in Richmond, Middleham and Langthwaite toilets.The results will be analysed and reported back to a Scrutiny Committee.
An innovative new scheme to help provide homes for local people looking to get on the housing ladder is coming to Richmondshire.
Members of the District Council’s Full Council have approved a ‘home ownership promotion’ policy which will see the authority buy properties to market either on a shared or discounted ownership basis. It will give people on lower incomes the chance to own their homes for the first time.
Currently the majority of affordable housing is provided through section 106 planning agreements where developers provide a percentage of affordable homes on each new housing site – they are traditionally bought by housing associations for rent, discounted or shared ownerships. The price they pay is below market value depending on location, size and availability.
However, while that route will still be taken, under the Council’s scheme it will also take on the role of a housing association by buying some of these properties and making them available to local people under shared or discounted ownership.
Members approved the policy – including the set up cost of £448,000.