New public toilets on Shanklin seafront will now be placed in a different location.
Plans had been put in place by Shanklin Town Council (STC) to place pay-as-you-go toilets by Chine Bluff.
They would have replaced the current provision.
However, according to Shanklin mayor, Cllr Chris Quirk, the proposed location of the toilets at the Chine was a few inches too close to the main sewage pipe for Southern Water’s liking.
Despite giving the water company alternatives, Cllr Quirk said it was refusing to budge, so they could not put the toilets where it wanted to.
To be situated at bottom of Shanklin Cliff Lift
The town council has already purchased the toilets from Danfo and they are ready to be sent over to the Island.
As an alternative, STC has now agreed to place the facilities — which will have two toilets and two exterior cold water showers — by the bottom of the Shanklin Cliff Lift.
The existing toilets at the SPA site have been closed for a number of years, with Cllr Quirk saying the town council had wanted to install public toilets there as well.
Structural survey of existing loos
A structural survey is being completed of the existing Chine Bluff toilets so the council can agree on what to do with them.
Cllr Quirk said there had been suggestions refurbishment work would be in the hundreds of thousands of pounds but was also told that was ‘totally ridiculous’.
He said the town council wanted an expert opinion to find out what needs doing.
Section 106 money
Questions were asked as to whether the council could use Section 106 money coming from the SPA site redevelopment to refurbish the Chine Bluff toilets.
Developers pay S106 money to the Isle of Wight Council which is then used for community projects in the area.
Cllr Quirk said the town council would have to decide what they wanted to do reasonably quickly if that was the case, as the planning application for the SPA site was likely to come forward soon and S106 money can only be used for plans already in the pipeline.
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which News OnTheWight is taking part in. Some alterations and additions may have been made by OnTheWight. Ed
