Great Yarmouth Borough Council set to refurbish seasonal toilets as part of major refresh of public conveniences

Over the last three years, the council has undertaken a modernisation programme of its most well-used year-round toilets, with works completed so far at The Jetty and The Conge in Great Yarmouth, The Ravine, Feathers Plain and Pier Head in Gorleston, The Green in Martham, and Caister High Street.

This also included the installation at Pier Head of a Changing Places toilet for people with profound and multiple learning disabilities, as well as people with physical disabilities such as spinal injuries, muscular dystrophy and multiple sclerosis, who often need extra equipment and space to allow them to use the toilets safely and comfortably.

The Environment Committee has now turned its attention to the council's seasonal toilets, approving £155,000 to refurbish blocks at Hemsby, Second Avenue in Caister, Thurne, Scratby, Beach Road in Caister and Winterton, plus the year-round toilets at Euston Road in Great Yarmouth.

Urgent repairs to the disabled facilities at Hemsby will take place over the next few days, ahead of developing detailed plans for a phased refurbishment of the seasonal blocks to start after the summer season. The North Drive toilets in Great Yarmouth, which is also a seasonal toilet, has already been revamped to support the Waterways restoration.

In addition to approving the refurbishments, the committee also discussed options for generating income to help fund the ongoing costs of public conveniences and agreed to progress the opportunity of offering space for suitable advertising within toilet blocks. 

Cllr Penny Carpenter, the committee's chairman, said: "While toilet provision is not a statutory service of councils, we recognise as one of East Anglia's top destinations that free access for residents and visitors to modern, well-maintained public toilets is part of a positive visitor experience, whether that be to our beaches or town centres.

"We have taken a phased approach to refurbishments, starting with modernisation of our most well used, year-round toilets, which has already made a big difference. I'm so pleased we're now able to move onto revamping the seasonal toilets, and I would like to thank the parish councils and businesses for their ongoing support in keeping the seasonal toilets running in recent years."