Public toilets in St Albans District to get £220,000 upgrade including baby changing and disabled facilities
Public toilets across St Albans District are to be modernised and upgraded with an investment of £220,000.
Improvements will include equipping conveniences with enhanced facilities for disabled people and baby changing.
St Albans City and District Council operates 16 public conveniences at various locations including the City Centre, three cemeteries, two parks and in a number of villages.
A review of the facilities was recently undertaken with the British Toilet Association (BTA) to consider future options.
The Council does not have a statutory duty to provide public toilets and in common with other local authorities is facing considerable pressure on its budget.
Some of the toilets need substantial improvements and to add to the financial challenges, a cleaning contract due to be renewed in June is likely to increase costs significantly.
However, the options of closing all the facilities or introducing a small charge for their use have been ruled out.
Instead, Councillors agreed to proposals to upgrade key facilities, remodelling them into accessible and unisex toilets.
The refurbishments will require a one-off capital investment of £220,000 which is being provided by the Government's UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
Only three toilets, which are no longer fit for purpose and close to alternative facilities, will be shut.
Discussions are to be initiated with Parish and Town Councils to see if they will take over the operation of public toilets in their area as they have done with other community assets.
The BTA assessment of the conveniences took into account the number of daily users, proximity to other toilets and the condition of the facilities.
Chris Traill, the Council’s Strategic Director for Community and Place Delivery, said:
In reviewing our public conveniences and considering future options, we have had to balance value for money with the needs of our communities.
We were very much guided by the experts at the British Toilet Association and our own careful planning around locations to match our customers’ usage. This has resulted in our plan to turn some of the existing toilets into unisex ones with disabled and baby changing facilities.
These will provide improved facilities for the whole community such as people with a baby to care for while also being less costly to maintain.
A few toilets will be permanently closed, but I hope our residents understand they were no longer fit for purpose and are a short walk from much better, alternative facilities.
The review recommendations accepted by Councillors as part of the Council’s budget process for 2024/25 are:
Clarence Park - the Bowling Green toilet will be closed for general use while the ornamental park toilet will be refurbished and converted into a unisex convenience with baby changing and disabled facilities.
Verulamium Park - the Abbey View Athletics Track toilet, currently closed because of structural concerns, will be permanently shut with visitors signposted to Westminster Lodge Leisure Centre. The toilets beside the Roman Museum will be refurbished and retain separate male and female facilities.
City Centre – Drovers Way and Civic Centre Car Park toilets, which have been plagued by serious anti-social behaviour, to be closed with people signposted to the first-class facilities at St Albans Museum + Gallery and inside the Civic Centre. The Changing Places toilet at the Civic Centre Car Park to be retained.
Parishes – toilets to be refurbished and remodelled as unisex ones with baby changing and disabled facilities at Wheathampstead, London Colney, Park Street and the Quadrant. This was trialled successfully at Sandridge and recently completed at Redbourn.
Cemeteries – toilets refurbished and remodelled as unisex ones with baby changing and disabled facilities at Hatfield Road, London Road and Westfield Road.
Photo: Toilets beside the Roman Museum at Verulamium Park.
Note: The UK Shared Prosperity Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills.
For more information, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-shared-prosperity-fund-prospectus
Contact for the media: John McJannet, Principal Communications Officer: 01727 819533, john.mcjannet@stalbans.gov.uk.