Key information
Petition presented by: Murad Qureshi
Date petition submitted: Thursday 21 May 2009
Petition presented at: London Assembly Mayor’s Question Time
Summary of petition
‘We the undersigned note the recent publicity given by Transport for London (TfL) to the availability of public toilets on the Tube network and call upon TfL and the Mayor to re-open the public toilets at Notting Hill Gate Tube station. This is a major intersection of tube lines in West London, and is used by many tourists passing through the station to Portobello market and other local attractions.’
Response information
Name of person responding: The Mayor, Boris Johnson
Response date: Tuesday 30 June 2009
“I am aware that public toilets are important. Consequently, as Underground stations are refurbished London Underground are upgrading the toilets wherever possible.
The toilets in question, which are situated in the subway leading to Notting Hill Gate station, are owned by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and not Transport for London. Therefore the petition signed by your constituents should be brought to the attention of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. My office can arrange for this petition to be sent to them, or returned to you, as you prefer.”
This response was reported to the Assembly on 22 July 2009. At that meeting Murad Qureshi AM explained that he had written to the Mayor raising a number of queries in relation to the response. His letter to the Mayor, dated 3 July 2009, said:
“The arrangement whereby RBKC was allowed to operate a public convenience in the station dates from 1937. This did not give the local authority ownership of the site, which remained in the hands of London Underground Ltd. The local authority has since ceased to operate the toilets. It is therefore a matter for LUL how the space is now used.
There is no dispute about LUL’s rights over the lavatory space. Currently the site is being used by LUL itself to store tools and equipment for its modernisation programme…It would be inappropriate to refer the petition to RBKC, as you suggest, since the local authority has made it clear that it will not reverse its decision to close the toilets. It is entirely within TfL’s powers to refurbish and reopen the toilets as proposed in the petition that I presented. I would therefore urge you to reconsider that proposal, which has substantial support among local residents.”