Recruitment Struggles Continue For Brighton’s Public Toilet Cleaning Team

Brighton & Hove City Council says it continues to face challenges recruiting seasonal staff to clean and maintain the city's public toilets, despite most vacancies now being filled.

The authority is currently recruiting seasonal toilet cleaners to work 37 hours a week on a four-days-on, four-days-off rota, with salaries of up to £26,824 a year.

The issue was raised at a meeting of the full council, where Brighton & Hove Independent councillor Bridget Fishleigh said the pay on offer was putting people off applying.

She said she knew of two seasonal workers who had left because they felt the role, which pays around £14.50 an hour, was stressful, unpleasant and not worth the wage.

Labour councillor Tim Rowkins, the council's cabinet member for net zero and environmental services, acknowledged recruitment had proved difficult.

However, he told councillors that, of the 15 seasonal positions available, only two or three remained vacant.

Councillor Rowkins said pay grades were set across the council and there was a "high bar" for increasing wages for individual roles.

He added:

“I would love to be able to double the number of staff we have in our public toilets and extend the opening hours both in the morning and in the evening.

“It is a very expensive service to run.

Thankfully, we have some very willing and very well-meaning and very community-minded businesses and partners in the city.”

Among those partners are Babble at the Beach on Hove seafront, which has agreed to extend access to public toilets at the new sports hub, and Hove Park Tennis Club, which has also increased opening hours for its facilities.

Councillor Rowkins also thanked Councillors Bridget Fishleigh and Mark Earthey for helping to open and close the Undercliff public toilets in Ovingdean.