Torbay toilets have long been the topic of condemnation and debate.
Towards the end of 2017, the ladies toilets in Torquay town centre were closed due to an insecure roof.
However, it now appears that Torbay Council have a plan to modernise and regenerate the toilets across the county.
Torbay Council has commissioned Healthmatic Limited to carry out modernisation works on all toilets across the Bay.
Along side this the company will also be providing daily management and cleaning of the toilets.
Torbay Toilets to charge 30p
Healthmatic will start their contract on the 1st May 2018 and it will run for 15 years with the possibility of extending this for a further 5 years.
This £1 million regeneration, of course is not without its own costs, and therefore the public can expect to pay around £0.30p to use the Bay toilet blocks following the completion of the regeneration.
The charges will be rolled out across the bay over the next 2 years and further information will be available as and when this system is introduced.
The 30p charge will help pay towards the modernisation as well as provide a small amount of additional revenue for Torbay Council.
Are we following the trend?
The charge does mean that we are following the foot steps of the major towns and cities around the South West including Exeter where you have to pay between 20p-50p to use their facilities.
Having used the facilities in Exeter in the past, a small charge does make a lot of difference.
Elector Mayor, Gordon Oliver Said
I made a commitment to the people of Torbay that there would be no public toilet closures and I have kept my promise. We are now having a £1m investment over three years in our public toilets through a partnership with Healthmatic.
Managing Director from Healthmatic, Piers Dibben said:
We are delighted to be working with Torbay Council on this important area of public service. The investment in the toilets will help to provide high quality facilities to the residents and tourists in Torbay and the long term future of this important service has been secured
Cllr Robert Excell, Executive Lead for Community Services concluded:
With the savings the Council have had to make with the budget, toilets across the Bay could have been closed. By commissioning Healthmatic to take on the daily operation and the refurbishments, as well as asking users to make a small contribution when they use them, we can continue to provide toilets which will be in a better state of repair.
Regeneration set to last 3 years
It is thought that the regeneration of all public toilets across Torbay will take place over the next 3 years.
Toilets will be closed temporarily as and when they are being refitted.
The first set of Torbay toilets to be regenerated will be those situated in Bank Lane, Brixham with the work starting at the beginning of July.
The work is expected to take between five to eight weeks.
Information supporting when each of the blocks will be refurbished will be released closer to the time.
All toilets will benefit from updated signage and Healthmatic will handle with all enquiries regarding the toilet facilities in the Torbay area.
What are your thoughts on the charges?
