Work planned at coastal public toilets to cope with increased demand

The project being undertaken by Northumberland County Council aims to increase drainage capacity at the Craster conveniences.

Paul Jones, the council’s director of local services, said: “There have been ongoing issues at Craster with some of the infrastructure there not being up to the level of usage it’s receiving so there is works planned there, starting in May, to improve the drainage capacity of that facility.”

It is among the key public toilets also set to get a major refurbishment as part of a £1.5m capital investment.

Mr Jones said: “We’re looking at some fairly major refurbishment works at key facilities in the main town centres plus those in the tourism areas and then addressing maintenance issues in the others.

"Minor works have already been done at Bamburgh Links and Magdalene Fields and works are being done at Low Newton so that’s going to roll forward over the next couple of years.”

A £315,000 project to refurbish the public toilets at Holy Island and Seahouses and install Changing Places facilities has also been completed.

He also revealed the council is reverting back to its pre-Covid cleaning regime.

“During Covid we received significant government funding to support infection control which included an enhanced cleaning regime which meant they were being cleaned on a three times a day basis,” he explained.

“That funding has effectively dried up so we are going back to our ‘normal’ cleaning regimes of a twice daily visit – a cleanse in the morning and a check during the day. It is something we will keep under review.”