Why I paid £169k for a disused toilet block

Simon Ayres plans to turn the disused toilet block into a cafe and beach pods

Why would anyone buy a former toilet block on a narrow strip of land wedged between a rail line and a coastal path?

"The view is the only reason I bought it," said developer Simon Ayres, who bought the public convenience from Cornwall Council for £169,000 in March.

The toilet block, which ironically no longer has any working toilets, overlooks St Michael's Mount and Mounts Bay.

Mr Ayres now has plans to lease the property as a cafe, install a new unisex toilet block and build 18 beach pods on the strip of land next to the building, a proposal he acknowledged had attracted some criticism from local people as it would "alter their views". One resident said it would make the area a "complete eyesore".

The former toilet block overlooks St Michael's Mount and Mounts Bay in west Cornwall

Mr Ayres has knocked out all of the internal walls and installed large windows, which he said would "probably be a serving hatch".

"The concrete was old and very hard and I had to get rid of it myself because you can't get a vehicle down here so it's been hard work," he said.

"The view is the only reason I bought it though - it's a wonderful place to come and work."

He explained the 18 beach pods would function "like a traditional beach hut".

"They will be curved roof pods so that they can stand up to the conditions down here, and so people will lease them and they might decide to rent them out on a day to day basis," he said.

Windows have been added to the toilet block as part of plans to turn it into a cafe

Simon Walter, who lives in one of the houses overlooking the patch of land where the proposed pods would be, said they would make the area a "complete eyesore".

"These are basically three-metre high sheds and we'll have a view of the back of them," he said.

"We have no problem whatsoever with developing the cafe, have some tables out there... it's a real benefit to the area, but this row of sheds it's just going to be a complete eyesore."

The pods are proposed to have curved roofs to help withstand the windy conditions

Mr Aryes said the proposal had attracted some objections from local people due to the change of views but he added the feedback was mostly positive.

"I took the project on because I got a bit bored, I was retired, I was playing golf and tennis every day and I felt like I was a bit useless, so I just decided to look for a project because I used to do projects, it was my job and it was a fantastic opportunity down here," he said.

"Everyone who walks past wants to know what's going on. I do spend about half my day just talking to people, I would say 99% are positive about the change and the plans."