Anger in British seaside town after row over public toilets | UK | News

Half of the council’s public toilets in a picturesque corner of the county are set to close as a cash-strapped authority tries to make savings.

Conwy County Council has announced it has taken the “difficult decision” to close 20 toilets, potentially leaving visitors to the pretty North Wales area in the lurch.

Among the toilets that will be closed are those on Colwyn Bay promenade, opposite Porth Eirias. Penmaenmawr promenade also loses its facility near the yacht club.

A number of toilets that were due to close on September 4 are already out of service and have not yet been repaired due to “repeated vandalism.”

In a statement to Express.co.uk, Councillor Goronwy Edwards, cabinet member for infrastructure, transport and amenities, said: “Every department in the council has had to find significant financial savings for 2024/25. As part of this, we have looked at options for public toilets.

“We no longer have a budget to subsidise public toilets, so we have to recover all operating costs from paid facilities.

“Closing the restrooms was a difficult decision for us to make. We considered how often the facilities were used, where other restrooms were located nearby, how often vandalism occurred and the ongoing repair costs.”

Conwy Council is not controlled by any of the main UK parties, with the Conwy First Independent Group holding the largest number of constituencies.

Conwy Council added that 21 public toilets will remain open across the county, some seasonally, from Easter until the first week of September.

He said 19 toilets in council buildings will be accessible to all, as well as toilets in businesses registered with the council’s community toilet scheme.

When this is added to the toilets in businesses registered with the council’s community toilet scheme, the number of facilities in the county now stands at 47, down from 66.