East Devon councillors have been warned this is their “last chance saloon” to convince town and parish councils to take on public loos the district council can’t afford to run.
In 2021, East Devon District Council divided its public toilets into three categories: A, B and C.
Category A loos, of which there are 15, will be refurbished or rebuilt at an estimated cost of £5 million.
The 12 category B and C toilets have been offered for commercial operators to repurpose them into cafes, takeaways or community hubs – although the public must still be able to go to the loo there – and also to town and parish councils to run in place of EDDC.
The district council has had limited success in getting rid of the B and C facilities, and in November agreed to push back closing dates to March next year.
This week, EDDC’s cabinet agreed a new timetable to push ahead with disposing of them.
Key deadlines in the timetable include 31 March this year for concluding negotiations with town and parish councils, 31 May for marketing them for repurposing with loos, and 31 August for marketing them without loos.
Cllr Paul Hayward (Independent, Axminster) said: “Can I ask everyone, every ward member to mind these dates, look at them and fix them in your diaries because there is going to be no extension? We’ve got to get this done.
“We’ve accommodated feedback and comments and observations from town and parishes. We’re working with them. We’ve made the tweaks that we’ve been asked.
“This is your last chance saloon. These dates are set in stone and there won’t be any representations after that.”
East Devon’s public toilets are ranked as follows:
Category A:
West Street Car Park, Axminster
Cliff Path (West End/Steamer), Budleigh Salterton
East End (Lime Kiln), Budleigh Salterton
Jubilee Gardens, Beer
Foxholes Car Park, Exmouth
Magnolia Centre (London Inn), Exmouth
Manor Gardens, Exmouth
Phear Park, Exmouth
Queens Drive, Exmouth
Lace Walk, Honiton
West Walk, Seaton
Connaught Gardens, Sidmouth
Triangle, Sidmouth
Market Place, Sidmouth
Ham car park (new site), Sidmouth
Categories B and C:
Orcombe Point, Exmouth
The Maer, Exmouth
Imperial Road, Exmouth
Jarvis Close, Exmouth
Seaton Hole, Seaton
Harbour Road, Seaton
Marsh Road, Seaton
Brook Road, Budleigh Salterton
Station Road, Budleigh Salterton
Dolphin Street, Colyton
King Street, Honiton
Port Royal, Sidmouth
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