Public toilets set to charge £1 entry fee

The Bandstand facilities at Eastbourne seafront is one of the toilets where people will be charged a fee to use

A £1 entry fee is to be introduced for people using public toilets in Eastbourne, the council has announced.

Toilets at Eastbourne Pier, the bandstand, Holywell and Beachy Head have recently been refurbished and had new entrance gates installed.

The new fee, which is to be implemented from mid-April, will create funds to pay for maintenance of the facilities, Eastbourne Borough Council said.

"The introduction of a £1 facilities fee follows a consultation that showed local people supported a payment to keep the toilets open," a council spokesperson added.

Barbara Reuss said the fee would be worth paying if the toilets were kept to a high standard

Local resident Barbara Reuss said the fee would be worth paying if the toilets were kept to a high standard.

"Often they're not very attractive at all," she said.

"I can understand a lot of people would not be happy about it. Paying £1 is a bit too excessive."

Her partner, Richard Reuss, added: "The men's toilets in the last few years have been pretty awful. If we could pay to keep up the maintenance it might help a little with tourism."

Nicky Thompsett said paying £1 to use public toilets seemed "expensive"

Fellow resident Nicky Thompsett said £1 to use the toilets was "very expensive".

"However, I can see it must be expensive to maintain," she said. "But I do think it's part of the council's commitment to the local area.

"I don't think tourists or local people in the town should have to pay for them."

The new £1 fee is to be implemented from mid-April

A council spokesperson said the toilets on the seafront and at Beachy Head were used by high numbers of people throughout the year and needed to be regularly serviced.

"Not just for cleanliness, but also to help combat anti-social behaviour, including vandalism," they said.

The council added vandalism had put many toilets "out of action in recent years" and repair costs were expensive.