Flushed with distress

Plans for new toilets in Sunnynook raise a stink. A creche nearby hopes the chain will be pulled on this idea, hears Sophie Bond.
On a drizzly afternoon the noise inside Sunnynook Community Creche verges on cacophony: wailing competes with singing, story-reading and toddler-babble.
"Weather permitting, we spend as much time as possible outside," says creche supervisor Angela Kitchener. "The children always watch the people walking their dogs."
However, that simple pleasure of watching the world go by is about to end. Angela's appalled to hear that a proposed toilet block on the corner of Sunnynook Park may ruin the view.
Although the area already has a substantial brick toilet block, it is across the sports fields to the north of the park. Last month, North Shore City Council took a proposal for new toilets to Sunnynook Community Centre.
The centre's coordinator, Bronwyn Bound, is pleased the council wants to build new toilets but says the proposed location - just metres from the creche, Plunket room and community hall - is unsuitable.
"It's tricky because where [the toilets] are now is a terrible location.
"Nobody wants to cross the fields to get to them and they're locked most of the time. But finding a position that suits everyone will be challenging.
"We think down by the Scout den would be better but, then, the Scouts won't want that."
Mrs Kitchener says the creche play area was renovated recently and the front fence was changed to allow a view of the park. "A block of toilets is going to take that away.
"I can't get my head around why they think that is an acceptable option. It's literally 5m from our boundary fence," she says.
"We already deal with the element of the league club: people drinking next door, looking into the creche. Who's going to come next?"
Takapuna Community Board chairman Martin Lawes says he is concerned the council "consulted with everyone except the board".
He says the board is not happy with the plan and has asked the council to look at alternatives.
"This reeks a little of pushing things through before the end of term and hoping that [the community board] has lost interest."
The council's communications adviser, Edward Newbigin, says plans for a toilet block are far from final and there are still some community groups to consult. "There is quite a bit of feedback to take into consideration. We're just trying to determine a preferred location."
He says the existing toilets, on the far side of Sunnynook Park, will be pulled down once new toilets are built.
Creche crushed
After a recent break-in at the creche, staff are concerned the proposed toilet block could
increase security issues.
Late last month, while the community centre hall was in use and the alarm de-activated,
the creche was broken into and robbed of its music system, laptops and digital cameras.
"We're not for profit and it took us two years of fundraising to be able to purchase that stuff,'' says Mrs Kitchener.