Town's support has been 'brilliant' says woman who re-opened Ebbw Vale public toilets

Tracey West decided to take over the running of the Ebbw Vale toilets when they went out for tender from Blaenau Gwent Council. The council had been forced to shut all the public toilets in the borough in 2013, including in Brynmawr, Tredegar, Abertillery and Blaina, due to funding cuts.

Business owners fought back in April last year with a borough-wide petition, which gathered support from more than 5,600 people.

Now three of the borough’s toilets, in Ebbw Vale, Tredegar and Brynmawr, have now reopened thanks to private tenders.

Tracey, who ran as a conservative candidate in this year’s parliamentary elections, said so far the running has been “brilliant”.

She said: “The toilets are a big thing that helps the town.

“When it was the election in May, one of the biggest bugbears in town was that the toilets were not open. I said I’d try my best and I had spoken to a few people like Wayne Hodgins, who runs the Brynmawr toilets. He gave me some advice.

“I really, really wanted to do something to show people are listening. It’s been great, even the market traders pay for the toilet rolls each week. Everyone’s been really helpful. The rest of the donations go towards cleaning materials.”

Mr Hodgins runs Hodge Municipal Services, which took over the running of the Brynmawr toilets.

He told the Argus: “Hodge Municipal has received no funding from Brynmawr Town Council or the borough ward councillors, like Ebbw Vale and Tredegar has.

“The only funding received was through the assembly community toilet grant which Blaenau Gwent council administer on the assembly’s behalf.”

In Tredegar, the toilets in the privately-owned Gwent Shopping Centre were refurbished and opened by Tredegar Town Council.

A report to the full council meeting of the council on Thursday, October 8 revealed work is still ongoing on to reopen the toilets in Abertillery and Blaina.