"Last chance" to save East Devon's loos

The inconvenient truth

East Devon councillors have been warned this is their “last chance saloon” to convince town and parish councils to take on public loos the district council can’t afford to run. 

In 2021, East Devon District Council divided its public toilets into three categories: A, B and C.  

Category A loos, of which there are 15, will be refurbished or rebuilt at an estimated cost of £5 million.  

The 12 category B and C toilets have been offered for commercial operators to repurpose them into cafes, takeaways or community hubs – although the public must still be able to go to the loo there – and also to town and parish councils to run in place of EDDC. 

The district council  has had limited success in getting rid of the B and C facilities, and in November agreed to push back closing dates to March next year. 

This week, EDDC’s cabinet agreed a new timetable to push ahead with disposing of them. 

Key deadlines in the timetable include 31 March this year for concluding negotations with town and parish councils, 31 May for marketing them for repurposing with loos, and 31 August for marketing them without loos. 

Cllr Paul Hayward (Independent, Axminster) said: “Can I ask everyone, every ward member to mind these dates, look at them and fix them in your diaries because there is going to be no extension? We’ve got to get this done.  

“We’ve accommodated feedback and comments and observations from town and parishes. We’re working with them. We’ve made the tweaks that we’ve been asked.  

“This is your last chance saloon. These dates are set in stone and there won’t be any representations after that.” 

East Devon’s public toilets are ranked as follows:   

Category A   

West Street Car Park, Axminster   
Cliff Path (West End/Steamer), Budleigh Salterton   
East End (Lime Kiln), Budleigh Salterton   
Jubilee Gardens, Beer   
Foxholes Car Park, Exmouth   
Magnolia Centre (London Inn), Exmouth    
Manor Gardens, Exmouth   
Phear Park, Exmouth   
Queens Drive, Exmouth   
Lace Walk, Honiton   
West Walk, Seaton   
Connaught Gardens, Sidmouth   
Triangle, Sidmouth   
Market Place, Sidmouth   
Ham car park (new site), Sidmouth   

Categories B and C   

Orcombe Point, Exmouth   
The Maer, Exmouth   
Imperial Road, Exmouth   
Jarvis Close, Exmouth   
Seaton Hole, Seaton   
Harbour Road, Seaton   
Marsh Road, Seaton   
Brook Road, Budleigh Salterton   
Station Road, Budleigh Salterton   
Dolphin Street, Colyton   
King Street, Honiton   
Port Royal, Sidmouth