Five of Wirral’s nine council-run public toilets are set to close, with just four to remain.
Plans to close toilets at Moreton Cross, West Kirby Concourse, Meols Parade, New Ferry and Thornton Hough will be voted on at a meeting of Wirral Council’s Economy, Regeneration and Housing Committee on Monday, June 13. While five public toilets are set to close, facilities at West Kirby Marine Lake, Harrison Drive in New Brighton, Hoylake and Moreton Common will remain under current plans.
Wirral Council needs to make major savings, after February’s council vote saw the authority agree to a budget featuring £20m worth of cuts. This followed two damning reports which criticised the council for not making tough decisions.
READ MORE: People demand park’s toilets back after massive storm damage
The closure of the five public toilets will save £50,000 if it goes ahead. A recent consultation found 88% of residents said they used public toilets and 86% disagreed with the planned closures. A document prepared for the committee meeting said the toilets set to be closed have not been reopened since the pandemic due to the “enhanced cleaning regimes required”.
The four toilets set to remain were chosen as they “meet the needs of residents and visitors due to their location, frequency of use, ability to maintain good cleaning standards and in maintaining a good provision of toilet facilities within a given radius”. The council also argued reducing the number of toilets would allow for more investment in those which will remain.
The document gave specific reasons for closing each of the toilets the council is planning to close. In the case of New Ferry, the toilet falls within an area set to be demolished and redeveloped in an effort to regenerate the town following a gas explosion more than five years ago.
As for Moreton, the redeveloped library will have toilet facilities in the future, as will a new supermarket, while the presence of other public toilets in the area was given as part of the justification for closing public toilets in Meols, West Kirby and Thornton Hough.
