Public toilets in a popular Isle of Wight seafront tourist town will open after all, following an agreement between the authorities that look after them.
No date has been set, but it is hoped the toilets in Ryde Esplanade station will open in time for Easter.
It follows an agreement reached between Ryde Town Council and South Western Railway (SWR), after months of negotiations, over who will clean the loos.
Cost falls on RTC
The town council will now pay to clean and insure the facilities – which are the only ones in the area – for an estimated cost of £27,000 per year, plus VAT.
The town council will also have to pay more than £1,000 in legal fees, to take on the lease.
Western Gardens replacement
It had previously looked after the former Western Gardens public loos, leasing them from the Isle of Wight council.
They were knocked down to make way for a new access road to Ryde Pier and there were reassurances they would be replaced.
The current loos are inside SWR’s train station, which was refurbished as part of an Isle of Wight council-led project but there has been disagreement over who should be responsible for them.
IWC never intended to manage them
In December, SWR said it was up to the Isle of Wight council, but County Hall said it never intended to manage them.
Ryde Town Council said it was told SWR would maintain them.
This week, it was revealed further talks have been held between the town council and SWR.
May: No other way forward
Ryde Mayor, Richard May, said it was in the public’s interest that the town council pay to clean them and councillors agreed there was ‘no other way forward’.
They unanimously agreed to the deal.
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
