Sutton Council Spent £100k on Unusable Toilet

5 November 2025

Sutton Council is under scrutiny after spending £100,000 on a Changing Places Toilet (CPT) at Beddington Park Pavilion, which was closed shortly after completion because the building requires a new roof.

The issue was brought to the forefront by Councillor Mike Dwyer during a council meeting on Monday, 3 November 2025. He directly questioned Councillor Marian James, Chair of the People Committee, about the council's decision to invest in a facility that was not fit for purpose. Councillor Dwyer asked: >Why did the Council spend over £100,000 installing a Changing Places Toilet (CPT) at Beddington Park Pavilion when it was not fit for purpose, as evidenced by the fact that the CPT was closed shortly after its completion and remains closed for an indefinite period because the building needs a new roof?

Councillor Dwyer emphasised that the closure of the CPT, so soon after its installation, raised serious questions about the council's oversight and planning procedures. The CPT remains closed for an indefinite period, awaiting the necessary roof repairs to the Beddington Park Pavilion.

The council meeting, held at the Sutton Central Library, also covered other topics. These included Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs), a motion to support diversity¹, and the annual report of the Audit and Governance Committee².

Details regarding the motion to support diversity can be found in the document Motion_ Respecting Suttons Diversity - Council - 20251103. ↩
The Audit and Governance Committee's annual report for 2024-25 is available at Audit and Governance Committee Annual Report for 202425 _Audit and Governance Committee20250710. ↩

People involved

Mike Dwyer Local Conservatives North Cheam

Marian James Chair: People Committee Liberal Democrat Wallington North

Eric Allen Local Conservatives Cheam

Martina Allen Chair: Cheam North and Worcester Park Local Committee Local Conservatives Worcester Park South

Steve Alvarez Local Conservatives St Helier West

Show all 59 people

Councillor Isabel Araujo Liberal Democrat Carshalton Central

Helen Bailey

Councillor Rob Beck Chair of the North Cheam, Stonecot and Worcester Park Local Committee Liberal Democrat Stonecot

Moira Butt Local Conservatives Carshalton South and Clockhouse

Councillor Richard Choi Liberal Democrat Sutton Central

Imran Choudhury

Wendy Clark Local Conservatives St Helier West

Councillor Richard Clifton Vice Chair of the Planning Committee Liberal Democrat Sutton South

Councillor Paul Cole Vice Chair of the People Committee, Vice Chair of the Health and Wellbeing Board Liberal Democrat St Helier East

Tim Crowley Local Conservatives Carshalton South and Clockhouse

Councillor Sam Cumber Chair of the Sutton Local Committee Liberal Democrat Sutton North

Bobby Dean Liberal Democrat The Wrythe

Ruth Dombey Vice Chair: Sutton Local Committee Liberal Democrat Sutton North

Tom Drummond Leader of the Opposition Local Conservatives Worcester Park North

Councillor Qasim Esak Chair of the Scrutiny Committee Liberal Democrat Sutton West and East Cheam

Councillor Trish Fivey Liberal Democrat Sutton South

Tim Foster Leader of the Sutton Independent Residents Group Sutton Independent Residents Beddington

Neil Garratt Local Conservatives Belmont

Peter Geiringer Local Conservatives Worcester Park South

Councillor Sunita Gordon Lead Member for Resources Liberal Democrat Wallington North

Catherine Gray Local Conservatives St Helier West

Jillian Green Sutton Independent Residents Beddington

David Hicks Local Conservatives Belmont

Councillor Andrew Jenner Chair of the Carshalton and Clockhouse Local Committee Liberal Democrat Carshalton Central

Councillor Edward Joyce Vice Chair of the Scrutiny Committee Liberal Democrat South Beddington and Roundshaw

Councillor Barry Lewis Leader of the Council Liberal Democrat Wallington North

Bryony Lindsay-Charlton Local Conservatives Sutton North

Patrick Magnus Local Conservatives South Beddington and Roundshaw

Councillor Sam Martin Deputy Leader of the Council, Vice Chair of the Beddington and Wallington Local Committee Liberal Democrat Wallington South

Councillor Nick Mattey Deputy Leader of the Labour Coop and Independent Group Labour Coop and Independent Beddington

Councillor Jayne McCoy Chair of the Planning Committee Liberal Democrat Wallington South

James McDermott-Hill Deputy Leader of the Opposition Local Conservatives North Cheam

Councillor Cryss Mennaceur Deputy Mayor, Chair of the Pension Committee Liberal Democrat Sutton Central

Councillor Gemma Munday Chair of the People Committee Liberal Democrat St Helier East

Param Nandha Vice Chair: North Cheam, Stonecot and Worcester Park Local Committee Local Conservatives North Cheam

Patrick Ogbonna Chair: Hackbridge, St Helier and the Wrythe Local Committee Liberal Democrat The Wrythe

Spencer Palmer

Councillor Ed Parsley Vice Chair of the Hosuing, Economy and Business Committee Liberal Democrat Sutton Central

Jane Pascoe Vice Chair: Sutton South, Cheam and Belmont Local Committee Local Conservatives Belmont

Jonathan Pearce Local Conservatives South Beddington and Roundshaw

Councillor Louise Phelan Chair of the Licensing Committee, Vice Chair of the Sutton Local Committee Liberal Democrat Sutton West and East Cheam

Joe Quick Local Conservatives Worcester Park North

Councillor Muhammad Sadiq Mayor Liberal Democrat Wallington South

Councillor Cumar Sahathevan Vice Chair of the North Cheam, Stonecot and Worcester Park Local Committee, Chair North East Surrey Crematorium Board Liberal Democrat Stonecot

Tony Shields Chair: Sutton South, Cheam and Belmont Local Committee Local Conservatives Cheam

Councillor Jake Short Chair of the Hosuing, Economy and Business Committee Liberal Democrat Carshalton Central

Richard Simpson

Councillor Colin Stears Chair of the Hackbridge, St Helier and The Wrythe Local Committee Liberal Democrat The Wrythe

Luke Taylor Liberal Democrat Sutton West and East Cheam

Councillor Dave Tchil Leader of the Labour Coop and Independent Group Labour Coop and Independent Hackbridge

Vanessa Udall Local Conservatives Cheam

Sheldon Vestey Labour Hackbridge

Councillor Lisa Webster Vice Chair of the Carshalton and Clockhouse Local Committee Liberal Democrat Carshalton South and Clockhouse

Councillor Christopher Woolmer Chair of the Environment and Sustainable Transport Committee Liberal Democrat Sutton West and East Cheam

Sutton Council Spent £100k on Unusable Toilet

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