Clevedon’s seaside toilets were closed during the height of the summer season – after being vandalized for the third time.
Pier Copse amenities, managed by Clevedon Pier and Heritage Trust, were forced to close last week after vandals attempted to force open the lock.
Repairs are underway but it is unclear when the trust will be able to reopen the washroom.
Read more: New installation to be built at Clevedon marine lake
The lock is a special lock that opens when a 20 pence coin – the cost of using amenities – is inserted.
The vandals are believed to have targeted the toilets in an attempt to take out the rooms.
A new specialized lock must now be manufactured.
Clevedon Pier and Heritage Trust Chairman Phil Curme said: “It is very disappointing that we have had to close the toilets, especially at this time of year.
“This is not the first time that they have been damaged.
“This has happened several times before when screwdrivers were inserted into the lock to force it to open.
“We have ordered a new lock but we don’t know how long it will take to arrive but we hope to open them as soon as possible.”
The trust took over the toilets – which were previously just a women’s toilet – several years ago after the North Somerset Council announced it would shut them down as a cost saving measure.
The trust was awarded a grant of £ 30,000 to renovate the toilets to provide two cabins with a paid entry system as well as to remodel the rest of the building to create a refreshment kiosk.
The money raised from the refreshment kiosk and the use of the washroom is used to cover their operating costs.
“It is not so much the cost of the damage that is relatively minimal to repair,” said Mr Curme,
“But we are relying on the 20 pence fee and the money collected by the kiosk to cover the costs of the toilets.
“And that’s the general downside of not being able to open them.
“The trust has enough to do with the jetty without having to fund the ongoing costs of operating the washroom.”
The kiosk opens on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays and is a popular refreshing stopover with visitors and residents.
But opening hours have been affected in recent weeks due to staff self-isolation.
The Pier Copse facilities are the only public washrooms along the beach portion of the waterfront.
“We have been a huge leap forward in recent years to keep the washrooms open as we believe they are a vital facility for visitors and residents of Clevedon,” said Mr Curme.
“We intend to reopen them as soon as possible.”
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Source: www.somersetlive.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-08-11 13:17:26
