To receive and note the questions asked and statements made from members of the public on issues relating to the responsibility of this Forum.
Members of the public and visiting councillors may speak at the Forum, provided they have registered to speak three working days in advance. Please contact Democratic Services by 5pm on Friday, 16 January 2026 via democracy@winchester.gov.uk or (01962) 848 264 to register to speak and for further details.
Minutes:
Two members of the public addressed the Forum during public participation. A summary of their comments are set out below:
Fred White
He raised concerns regarding the clearance of fallen leaves, noting that they become dangerous slipping hazards, particularly during periods of frost, and also reported issues in relation to overgrown vegetation. Mr White reported that this was a particular issue in areas such as Sussex Street, College Street and Gladstone Street and he sought the forum’s support in encouraging the council to clear these areas of fallen leaves and weed debris on a regular basis.
In response, the challenges of leaf clearance were acknowledged. Leaf clearance schedules were in place for priority roads, covering approximately 176 roads across the district. The difficulty of timing these clearances perfectly due to changing seasonal patterns was noted. Large sweeping crews were managing roads during the sweeping season, with pavements swept year-round in the town centre. The forum advised that a spreadsheet was available on the website detailing the specific dates when various roads were scheduled for clearance and encouraged use of the "Clean My Street" app for areas not on the priority list. It was recommended that residents contact their local ward councillor with a reference number if the council was unresponsive to an initial report.
Ian Tait
· He expressed that while many councils across the country have ceased providing public lavatories, he considered this a retrograde step and one that should not be considered for Winchester, but emphasised that if the council does provide facilities, they must be maintained to a high standard.
· Reference was made to the baby changing facilities in Market Lane which had been locked for several years due to anti-social behaviour, drug paraphernalia, and safety concerns for both parents and staff.
· He suggested that existing external CCTV and facial recognition technology should be used to monitor and identify the small number of individuals responsible for vandalising the Market Lane facilities.
· He raised concern that the three new lavatories built in River Park have been out of action due to vandalism for longer than they have been available.
· In conclusion, he expressed concern that the Middle Brook Street lavatories in the base of the Brooks Centre have been locked for approximately ten years due to anti-social behaviour, despite previous officer assurances that they would be brought back into use and stated that if the council aimed to be inclusive, it must find a way to bring these facilities back into use for the wider community.
In response, it was noted that significant investment had recently been made into Market Lane, Abbey Gardens, and the Chesil public car park within the city centre, to ensure these toilet facilities were in excellent condition. The long-standing issues with anti-social behaviour at the Market Lane baby changing facility were acknowledged which was difficult to secure due to being a large, lockable room with no permanent staffing, lacking the security of a radar key. The forum confirmed that the baby changing table had now been moved into the ladies' toilet in Market Lane, with no suitable space for a similar facility in the men’s toilet.
The upcoming refurbishment of the toilets in the Brooks Centre was announced, which would include baby changing facilities and the first "Changing Places" toilet in that part of the city. The Chair agreed to investigate the specific background regarding the problems at River Park and ask the relevant questions after the meeting.