And it will cost you 40p a pee

Questions have been raised at East Devon District Council over why it is spending £5 million upgrading 15 of its public toilets.

[Because the Tories didn’t invest in maintenance/upgrades – Owl]

Will Goddard, local democracy reporter www.radioexe.co.uk

That’s an average of £333,333 per loo; about the same as an average semi-detached house in the area

Councillors have voted to start a new group to look at the plans and estimated costs of the improvements. 

In 2021, the council divided its WCs into three categories: A, B and C.   

Category A conveniences, of which there are 15, will be refurbished or rebuilt at an estimated cost of £5 million. Previously this amount was £3.4 million, but building inflation has added an extra £1.6 million to the bill. It will cost users 40p each time, which has to be met with a contactless payment card or phone.

Category B and C toilets, of which there are 12, 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 East Devon District Council, which can no longer afford them. 

Cllr Ian Barlow (Independent, Sidmouth Town) pointed out that more money was being spent on upgrading the council’s category A loos than planned maintenance for its more than 4,000 social homes, although he did realise the funds came from different places.  

Cllr Paul Hayward (Independent, Axminster) said in response: “This council recognises that spending on the maintenance of our housing stock can only come forward via the ring-fenced housing revenue account, whereas targeted spending on… the modernisation of our no-longer-fit-for-purpose WC assets is proposed to come from our revenue budgets and capital expenditure allocations, a wholly different and legally distinct pot of money.” 

Cllr Barlow also questioned whether the council was getting good prices for the loo upgrades.  “Refurbishment of Seaton toilets is going to cost £30,000. To put up new toilets in Exmouth is going to cost £408,000,” he said.

“I’m not into cutting toilets. I really am not. I want more toilets. 

“But at the end of the day, the amount we’re spending is not value for money.” 

Cllr Eleanor Rylance (Lib Dem, Broadclyst) responded: “I really very much trust our officers to do due diligence on any contracts that they commission.  

“I don’t think we can judge in this chamber whether or not something is value for money in that respect. We’ve had several examples though of how procurement at the lowest possible price can go very badly wrong.”  

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