Cornwall tourist beach left with no public toilets

Praa Sands beach in West Cornwall is popular with tourists

The toilet block at a West Cornwall beach popular with tourists has been closed indefinitely by the council.

Private traders have been invited to use half of the building at Praa Sands as a beachside shop or cafe while keeping the other half for toilet facilities but so far no one has come forward.

The local bar on the beach has put up signs asking people to buy a drink or make a donation if they use their facilities.

Cornwall Council said due to "increasingly financially challenging times it had to review non statutory services like public toilets."

'Numbers going up fourfold'

Signs are up asking visitors to make a donation if they need to use the toilet

Oliver Waite the manager of The Welloe bar and restaurant right next to the beach said: "We're having 50 or 100 people come in a day to use our toilets and I can see that increasing fourfold, maybe more during the summer holidays.

"We put a sign up, a little bit tongue in cheek, saying that the council isn't able to operate toilets.

"We ask people if they're going to spend a penny then spend a penny with us or to put in the donation pot."

The toilet block in Praa Sands remains closed

The council has invited people to come forward to run the toilets and commercial property consultants Vickery Holman were managing applications.

In a statement for prospective applicants on its website, it said: "There is an obligation for the ingoing tenant to keep 50% of the site as public toilets however, there is scope to convert part into a kiosk subject to Landlord's approval.

"The unisex public conveniences must be open on a daily basis between the hours of 09:00-17:00 from the start of the Easter school holidays through to the end of October."

It also said there was no requirement to provide free toilet facilities and businesses could introduce charges.

Cornwall Council supplied portable toilets last summer but won't be this year

Cornwall Council previously provided portable toilets at Praa Sands.

There were some complaints about cleanliness and the authority confirmed it would not be providing them this year due to financial pressures.

It said: "Since 2012 more than 200 public toilets have been devolved to local councils and community groups, with only a small number continuing to be maintained by Cornwall Council.

"Unfortunately, despite best efforts, no local solution has yet been found for the operation of the toilets at Praa Sands.

"The Council has recently marketed a further opportunity to take on these toilets with tenders currently being evaluated and we are hopeful that we can find a positive solution.

"In the meantime, unfortunately the toilets will remain closed."