A Haslemere man has accused local authorities of passing the buck over dangerous access to public toilets, claiming his disabled partner must enter the road and face oncoming traffic to reach them.

Anthony Nolan says his partner, who uses a wheelchair after suffering a stroke, cannot safely access the public toilets at Lion Green because of the steep gradient behind the building and difficulties using the roadside pavement.

Despite raising concerns with Haslemere Town Council and Surrey County Council, he claims little progress has been made after three months of correspondence.

“You could access the rear of the building if you’re able enough to do so up a steep gradient,” he said.

“My partner cannot do this as she cannot use the left side of her body due to a stroke.”

Mr Nolan said Haslemere Town Council had acknowledged the accessibility problem and promised to raise it with Surrey County Council, but he had struggled to obtain updates.

He accused the authorities of giving him “a very negative response” and questioned why improvements could not be made sooner.

“I have met with Haslemere Town Council and they agree there is a problem here,” he said.

“They assured me they would address the matter with Surrey County Council. I have asked them for an update and had no response as yet.”

He said Surrey County Council had indicated that improvements would be too expensive and might have to wait until April 2027.

“Is this the way to treat people with disabilities in Haslemere?” he asked.

Haslemere Town Council acknowledged the accessibility concerns but said responsibility for the roadside pavement rested with Surrey County Council.

The town council said it would “press for prioritising accessibility improvements to the pavements in the new budget starting April 2027.”

Surrey County Council pointed to Waverley Borough Council's planning responsibilities, saying the toilets were on private land.

A county council spokesperson said: “From our perspective – as things currently stand, as there is an alternative step-free access nearby, we must prioritise our funding to address other high priority and safety issues.”

Mr Nolan criticised what he sees as a lack of accountability between the authorities and warned that the current arrangements could put wheelchair users at risk.

“If you’re elected to do things about these issues as a councillor, do them, don’t pass them on to someone else,” he said.

“Let’s say I wheel my girlfriend out into the road and she gets hit by a car? What then? Will that be what it takes for the council to do something?”