TOILET wars erupted in Southend after it emerged £190,000 was being spent on refurbishing loos in Thorpe Bay – while four other blocks face closure.

Southend Council’s Lib Dem, Labour, and Independent administration’s 2015/16 budget has set aside £190,000 to refurbish loos under the tram stop shelter in Thorpe Bay Esplanade, as well as sorting out structural defects.

But the plan comes at a cost as the council plans to close four public toilets to save £40,000 a year, including loos at Shoebury East Beach and Hamlet Court Road, Westcliff.

Roger Hadley, standing for the Tories in Shoebury in May’s local elections, claims council leader Ron Woodley is wrong to spend the cash in Thorpe Bay.

He said: “It is nothing more than a vanity project and Ron Woodley was moaning about borrowing money, but he is borrowing £190,000 for a pet project.

“The maintenance and borrowing costs are probably as much as the other four toilets’ cost combined.

“East Beach attracts thousands of visitors. As it is, residents complain about visitors urinating in the bushes. What will it be like if the toilets are closed?”

The £190,000 at Thorpe Bay Esplanade will also be used to re-structure the roof of the toilets, which are underneath the tram stop, helping out campaigners who want to refurbish the 100-year-old tram building.

The council will still run the loos.

The authority is shutting loos in Hamlet Court Road, Westcliff; on the corner of Ness Road and Campfield Road, Shoebury; Southchurch Road, on the corner of Dalmatia Road, Southchurch; and East Beach.

Council officials claim the toilets are under-used, attracting antisocial behaviour, with Hamlet Court Road, in particular, rife with drug usage.

The toilet block in East Beach is only open during the summer, but locals have still mourned its loss, with the beauty spot attracting thousands in the winter months.

John Budge, secretary of Shoebury Residents’ Association, said: “We are against this as there are no other toilets in the area for East Beach users.”

The toilet cull will have to be decided at a full council meeting.

Martin Terry, councillor responsible for waste, said: “When approaching how we are to make savings, we’ve been keen to ensure we maintain quality facilities where there is demand for them.

“The proposed closures are for toilets that will have the least impact on residents and visitors.

Echo:

Hamlet Court toilets labelled a haven for junkies

 

TRADERS in Hamlet Court Road say the public loos are a haven for drug users – but are worried where their customers will go if the toilets close.

An employee at West Cafe said: “The toilets are disgusting and used by drug users, which is a shame, because they’re handy.

“Many pensioners wait at the bus depot, and they need to use the toilet more than others.”

A worker at Grouts the Bakers added: “The problem is the drug use in the toilets, but they are handy. But you can’t have it both ways, unless the toilets are maintained regularly.”

In 2013, the council fitted blue lights to the interiors so people found it harder to find their veins when shooting up drugs.

The council said the number of bars and cafes in the road should ensure people were able to get to a toilet if caught short.

Councillor Martin Terry said: “Significant abuse of the facilities is why we are proposing to close them.”

 

Campaigners welcome investment

CAMPAIGNERS looking to transform the tram stop welcomed the investment into the toilets below their building.

Charity Tram Stop Shelter have raised £22,000 so far for the scheme, which involves demolishing the 100-year-old building above the loos and providing facilities for the disabled and a meeting place for dozens of groups.

Bob Craven, who leads the group, said: “Refurbishment of the toilets can only help our project.’’ The council says it is investing the cash because the seafront toilets are still very well used.

Martin Terry, Southend councillor responsible for waste, said: “With the money we have budgeted in our capital programme, we will be able to facilitate their work by securing the structure underneath the tram stop, at the same time as providing a more pleasant and attractive facility for the beach’s visitors.”