Bridport: New toilet plans get a panning (From Bridport and Lyme Regis News)

Bridport: New toilet plans get a panning

10:11am Thursday 4th February 2010

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PENNY-saving plans to close Bridport’s East Street toilets have angered town residents.

Branded ‘sub-standard’, they are set to be shut down when new public loos are built in South Street car park.

But, with the nearby town hall conveniences also due to close following the building’s £1.4million revamp, critics say it will leave the centre with too few toilets available.

West Dorset District Council’s executive committee gave the go-ahead for the new £250,000 South Street toilet block on Tuesday.

It is planned to have them open by the summer of next year when the toilets in East Street car park will be closed and the site ‘disposed of’.

Toilets near the bus station in Tannery Road will continue to operate.

Bridport county councillor Karl Wallace accused the district authority of trying to save a ‘piddling amount’ by closing the East Street loos and selling off the tiny site.

He said: “I have to say I’m flushed with success over the news that the new South Street toilets are finally going ahead several years after they were first proposed.

“But we must also keep the ones in East Street as well.

“Just look at how many people use the car park there. It is a long distance for people to walk if the only ones are in the South Street park – especially for the elderly or young mums.”

At their meeting this week the executive committee was told the town hall toilets were likely to close this summer when works starts on the improvement scheme.

The report added: “The estimated completion date for the new toilets in South Street car park is summer 2011. “To cover the intervening period, public toilet provision will continue to be provided at East Street and West Street.

“Alternatively, the Town Council may use their revenue saving on the Town Hall toilets – around £6,000 a year – to pay for a temporary facility.

“However, it is not known where these would be as South Street car park will be restricted by the contractor’s compound.”

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