Conwy’s council considers selling public toilets, possibly converting them into homes as part of cost-saving measures
Conwy: So, guess what? The council is thinking about selling off some public toilets! They might even turn them into homes. Crazy, right? This came up during a recent meeting where they were discussing budget cuts for the next year.
Last autumn, Conwy decided to close 19 out of 40 public toilets to save some cash. They’re also cutting back on opening hours and shutting down some facilities during the off-season. It’s all about saving money, but it’s a bit of a bummer for locals.
During the meeting, a councillor named Sharon Doleman suggested selling the closed toilets to help cover the costs of shutting them down. She mentioned how she’d seen stories about people turning old public toilets into homes. Pretty inventive, huh?
She asked what the plan was for these toilets once they were closed. It turns out, a developer had bought a closed toilet in her village years ago to use as parking space. She was curious if they could do something similar now to recoup some of the costs.
The cabinet member responsible for toilets, Cllr Goronwy Edwards, said they could indeed sell them on the open market. He clarified that the £50,000 budget was mainly for shutting off utilities, not for tearing down the buildings.
He also mentioned that there’s been interest in some of the closed sites, so they’re hopeful about what might happen next. Once they finalize which toilets will close, they’ll prepare them for sale.
A spokesperson for the council added that they’re working with local councils to help keep some toilets open through lease agreements. They’re also looking into sponsorship options to maintain facilities in certain areas.
For now, 20 public toilets will stay open this winter, with a few more set to open in the spring. Plus, people can use toilets in council buildings like libraries and leisure centers, even if they’re not using other services. And there’s a community toilet scheme where local businesses let folks use their restrooms without needing to buy anything. So, there are still options out there!
