New temporary toilets coming to Cleethorpes
Toilets on the seafront has become an issue raised at council meetings in recent months
New temporary toilets are coming to Cleethorpes seafront in time for the Summer season. The LDRS understands the toilets will be installed in the next few weeks.
Toilets on the seafront has become an issue raised at council meetings in recent months. The opposition Labour group got cross-party support for a budget amendment in February that included money set aside for a permanent toilet block in the resort.
Last year, temporary plastic toilets in the then-open Pier Gardens were vandalised on more than one occasion. This resulted in their withdrawal earlier than planned.
Last month, the topic was also raised at the most recent North East Lincolnshire Council economy, culture and tourism scrutiny panel. Cllr Malcolm Morland (Labour and Co-op – Croft Baker) asked what toilet provision was planned during Pier Gardens’ 15 month closure, and was told the council was looking “at a substantial block of toilets on the seafront” with the hope of an announcement shortly.
It has been confirmed, as part of the council’s response to the LDRS raising business concerns about the impact of the closure of Pier Gardens, that temporary toilets will be coming in near Memorial Gate steps. A council spokesperson stated: “In the coming weeks, temporary toilets are being installed at the foot of the steps between Central Prom and Alexandra Road at Memorial Gate for the summer season.”
The LDRS understands the new loos will be installed in the next few weeks. Cllr Hayden Dawkins (Conservative – Humberston and New Waltham), portfolio holder for culture, leisure and the visitor economy, confirmed there is to be a toilet block put in not far from the RNLI building.
“The advantage is that will be plumbed in properly and therefore we won’t have the issues we had with the plastic toilets last year. It’s a marked improvement on the temporary toilets of last year that’s the important thing,” he stated, adding they will remain in place until ones are constructed as part of the new Sea Road building.
“We are also looking for a new location for another toilet block in the same vicinity as the temporary one is going at the moment.” Cllr Morland welcomed the news and pointed out Labour raising of the issue.
“Thanks to the pressure I’ve raised at the economic, culture and tourism scrutiny panel, it would appear that the request for toilets to be sited,” said Cllr Morland of having toilets along the middle of the seafront, “has succeeded.” He continued: “However, this is also due to hard work by my Labour colleagues and the request we made in the recent council budget for an extra £450,000 for permanent toilets to be located there. This is still our main aim.”
At the scrutiny panel last month, Cllr Morland said he raised the issue as businesses and members of the public had expressed concern about public lavatories provision during Pier Gardens closure. When the LDRS spoke to businesses last week about the impact of Pier Gardens closure on footfall, three unprompted referenced toilets concern.
“Everybody judges a resort by the toilets,” observed Mr Row from Alexandra Antiques of resort visitors. At the March scrutiny panel meeting, Cllr Dawkins responded to Cllr Morland’s question, stating: “Last season, when we had the plastic toilets in Cleethorpes, I didn’t hide the fact I wasn’t happy with them.” He had tasked officers to “look at something a little more substantial” on the seafront, adding he hoped it would be possible to announce something shortly.
All public toilets in Cleethorpes are free to use, a policy in place since 2020.