Your support helps us to tell the story
A man who returned from holiday to discover a portable toilet for bus drivers placed outside his property says he now can’t sell the home.
Brett Kemp, 52, was surprised to find Transport for London (TfL) had installed the lavatory on the roadside next to his four-bedroom house in Purley, south London, in July.
The oven cleaning business owner said none of the nearby residents were consulted - and now they have to put up with the ‘stink’ when drivers use the toilet.
He also claimed the toilet was putting off potential buyers for his home, which he last week cut in price from £650k to £635k due to a lack of interest.
“I put the property on the market three weeks ago and I’ve had just two viewings,” he told The Independent.
“No-one wants to see a toilet block outside a home they want to buy. People are turned off, and it means I can’t sell the property at the moment.”
Mr Kemp, who has owned the rental property for 11 years, said he can also smell the toilet when bus drivers open the door.
And despite TfL replacing the toilet block with a sturdier version featuring a door facing away from his home, he claimed it was still a problem.
“They replaced the first one with a grey one last week which is slightly better, but you still get the issue with the smells,” he said.
“I saw a bus driver this week and he said he didn’t even use it because of the smell.
“I understand bus drivers need a toilet to go to, but there should have been at least some talk with the people living here before this was installed. There are better places, away from homes, for this.”
Mr Kemp, who has two sons, believed TfL were allowed to install the temporary toilet because it comes under permitted development, but he has still complained to the local government body.
A spokesperson for TfL, said: “It’s really important that bus drivers are able to access toilet facilities while working and these play a vital role in enabling everyone to travel safely.
“We are always mindful of local residents when we install these facilities and choose locations near the end of a bus route that are most appropriate, taking into account the need for access to pavements to be maintained.
“This is a temporary facility installed as an interim measure while a permanent location can be identified and TfL is currently working with Croydon Council to investigate the possibility of moving the temporary facility or building a permanent facility at a different nearby location.”
