Visitors and residents in Burnham-On-Sea could soon be caught short if plans to close several public toilets in the town get the go-ahead.
Sedgemoor District Council’s Policy Review and Service Improvement Committee says loos at Burnham’s Yacht Club, BARB building, and Seaview Road could be shut to save cash. Other facilities at Berrow and Brent Knoll are also under threat.
If the plans are approved by the authority’s executive later this week, the authority will ask Burnham town council and nearby parish councils if they want to take over the running of the toilets. If they don’t, the facilities could close.
The closure of 14 toilet facilities across Sedgemoor could save £56,000 a year.
Speaking to Burnham-On-Sea.com, town councillor Louise Parkin (pictured) said: “We don’t have enough public toilets in Burnham as it is, so why close them?”
“Sedgemoor seems to want us to take over the running of them, but we set our budget a month ago so where do they expect us to get the money from?”
“We also don’t have the resources such as the cleaning teams and equipment to do it.”
“It’s been said that the Seaview Road toilets may be closed so that more money could be ploughed into the ones at the Tourist Information Centre.”
“Given that the Seaview Road ones are far away from the tourist area, so I wouldn’t object to that but I think losing the toilets at the BARB station and Yacht Club would not be good.”
A Sedgemoor spokesman said: “The council doesn’t have to provide public conveniences and lots of toilets in the area are in a bad state.”
“A working party visited the toilets and looked at the physical condition of them. It was also considered whether there were other toilets nearby.”
“Some toilets are repeatedly vandalised and it is a never ending saga. Sedgemoor felt it would be better to provide better, but fewer facilities.”
The news comes amid continuing question marks over the future of Burnham’s Princess Hall, Swimming Pool and fireworks display – all of which receive funding from Sedgemoor District Council and could be withdrawn if the town council or other groups do not help to finance and run them.
