Free Isle of Wight beach toilets may be scrapped under new plans

The sandy beach at Yaverland is popular with watersports fans, according to the town council

Free public toilets at a popular beach could be replaced with pay-to-use facilities under new council plans.

Currently, there is no charge to use the toilets at Yaverland car park, near Sandown on the Isle of Wight.

But a proposal from Sandown Town Council, approved at its meeting earlier this week, saw members agree to get a loan to provide state-of-the-art facilities at the site.

The authority hopes to install the new cubicles in time for summer 2025.

The £250,000 Public Works Board Loan to replace the toilets has been factored into the council's budget for the next financial year.

It would be repaid over 12 years, with repayments costing about £27,000 a year, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Expected to be similar to those recently opened at Eastern Gardens further round the bay, which cost 20p per use, the proposal includes one disabled cubicle and three standard unisex ones, with two external showers.

Planning permission still needs to be secured before work can begin.

The town council has recently agreed to increase the fees to use public toilets in Sandown to 50p all year round, instead of falling to 20p in the winter.

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