Public toilets could be sold off to save council money

Public toilets at West Runton could be transferred to the local community under plans by North Norfolk District Council

Concerns have been raised after a council agreed to look into closing some of its public toilets to save money.

North Norfolk District Council is facing a funding shortfall of £8 million over the next three years.

At a meeting on Monday, its cabinet voted to look into selling off, transferring or closing six public conveniences to save £46,000 a year.

Tim Adams, Liberal Democrat leader of the council, said: “In a perfect world, we wouldn’t be making such decisions.”

Council leader Tim Adams said closing toilets was not a decision he wanted to make

The council is expecting a deficit of £1.8m in the next financial year.

It has blamed rising costs, particularly around providing housing for homeless people in the district.

Mr Adams said closing the toilets was not a decision he wanted to make but the council was facing "huge budget pressure".

“We continue to want to run public toilets and invest in public toilet provision but we have got to recognise that some of them are in locations where we have no income streams to support them,” he said.

“That’s not to say they’re not needed. So our hope is that those facilities don’t close and we can hand them over to another party.”

Matthew Taylor, Conservative councillor for Stalham, raised concerns that the town could be left without a public toilet if the proposals go ahead.

“We are disappointed,” he said. “We would want to see far more progress done on the replacement before this decision is made.

"We don’t want to be left as the only town in north Norfolk without public conveniences."

Council officers will now begin discussions with those affected by the proposals to see if community groups could take over the running of the facilities earmarked for closure.

The following sites have been listed for closure or transfer:

• Stalham

• West Runton

• Potter Heigham

• Walsingham

• Weybourne

• Hickling

It is proposed that the following toilets are closed for the winter months:

• Ludham Bridge

• Bacton

• Womack Staithe

• West Prom, Cromer

• Beach Road, Wells

• Cadogan Road

• Cart Gap

• East Prom, Sheringham

Visitors Ian and Susan Austin said public toilets were essential

Tourist Susan Austin, 67, from Nottingham, said a lack of public toilets would put her off from visiting an area.

“It’s a basic human necessity,” she said. “If you haven’t got a public toilet, where are you supposed to go to?"

The Campaign for Public Infrastructure has been working with councils across the UK to help them keep toilets open.

It said: "Closing toilets might seem to councillors a low-impact way of finding extra money for services, but public toilets are a service as well.

"They give us the freedom to live in our towns and villages. At a time when local businesses, shops and public spaces are fighting to survive, closing toilets will stop many from feeling confident to spend time in our communities."

The matter will be discussed by the district council’s scrutiny committee before a final decision is expected in December.

A second review into the provision of public toilets will also take place in the next financial year.