Katerina Stankovic
Clerkenwell clubbers will be relieved to hear that new lavatories are being built at Farringdon Station, following MP Emily Thornberry’s campaigning.
They are part of the massive £16 billion Crossrail renovations.
The station is next to bars, pubs and clubs, and is a popular station for students to use on nights out, which is the exact reason why a lot of the Islington students are upset.
Tobi Oduyoye, a student living in Islington said: “I think that having lavatories at Farringdon Station would be a great idea. Coming out of a nearby nightclub nearby at four in the morning, you see a lot of people urinating and throwing up in the streets. Building lavatories in Farringdon Station would be really useful, and would really help in cleaning up the streets of Islington.”
Ms Thornberry, MP for Islington South and Finsbury, told Parliament: “Crossrail is currently building a huge new station at Farringdon, which we will welcome. However, will the minister join me in urging Crossrail to build some lavatories at Farringdon station?”
In a controversial speech she used the swear word p*** during Transport Questions in the Commons.
Ms Thornberry made her point and showed how passionately she felt about the lack of lavatories and how much it concerned the public.
She added: “The lavatories could be used not just by passengers but by people coming out of clubs at three in the morning. Residents have had to deal with massive disruption during the station upgrade and having these lavatories would be a bit of payback.”
The lack of lavatories at Farringdon Station has also had an effect on businesses nearby.
Sasha Lewis, who works in Ember, a bar right outside Farringdon Station said: “I would say that building lavatories at Farringdon Station would definitely be beneficial.
“We get a lot of people walking in to use our lavatories; some of them are polite enough to ask, however we get a lot of tramps and drunken people coming in. And especially since Farringdon Station is such a big connection, and since they are already renovating it, it would be a pity not to build some lavatories, as they are quite essential.”
The lack of lavatories at Farringdon Station has also affected families travelling with children who are often more desperate than adults to find a loo.
Georgia Keane, mother from Angel says: “I have two children, one a newborn and the other a toddler, and anyone with children will tell you that it is impossible to go anywhere without one of them needing the toilet every five minutes.
“And with a newborn, changing them is essential. I think that building a toilet at Farringdon Station would be so helpful to a lot of people, especially parents with children who are on the move constantly.”
Transport Minister Theresa Villiers said: “The redevelopment of Farringdon station involves Crossrail and Thameslink. It’s going to be an exceptionally important and busy station.
“There will be toilet facilities. It is intended those facilities will be provided at the London Underground aspect as part of the Thameslink upgrade, so Crossrail passengers are likely to have access to facilities nearby.”
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