Review of Newcastle toilet facilities plan

Review of Newcastle toilet facilities plan

19 May 2021

A MAJOR overhaul of public toilet provision in Newcastle is being considered by Newry, Mourne and Down Council.

The local authority is considering the closure of existing facilities at Central Promenade, the Islands Park and South Promenade and redeveloping an existing toilet block at Castle Park in the centre of the resort. 

Existing public toilets at the popular Downs Road and Donard Park areas in the town would remain open, but refurbished and upgraded.

The proposal is one of the core elements of a major new public toilet strategy the local authority is spearheading which includes a controversial suggestion of charging people use some facilities in a bid to reduce vandalism and anti-social behaviour.

In addition, the local authority is also reviewing public toilet opening times across the district as part of plans to invest heavily to allow people to spend a penny. There will also be increased emphasis on ensuring that public toilets meet the needs of those with autism, dementia and other health conditions.

The new toilet strategy — which includes a review of how council-owned toilets are managed, cleaned and maintained — is expected to be formally signed off at tonight’s meeting of the local authority’s Neighbourhood Services Committee.

Across the district, the local authority is responsible for 31 public conveniences, many of which have been in place for over 20 years and are showing signs of corrosion and internal wear and tear. A number have also been vandalised.

Councillors will be told tonight that a decision is required to repair, replace or remove these particular units and they will be provided with a detailed breakdown of the work that is required.

Toilets at Castlewellan’s Upper Square need to be replaced while the outer shell of the building would remain in place, while the existing facility at Market Street in Downpatrick would be entirely replaced.

The new strategy suggests that the current public toilets at The Rocks in Ballyhornan would be replaced as would existing toilets at the local authority-owned car park at the Newcastle Road outside Dundrum.

Plans have also been drawn up to replace toilets at Crossgar’s Lislea Drive and at Ardglass harbour, while public toilets at the New Line in Saintfield — which have been repeatedly targeted by vandals — would replaced, alongside those at the Quoile Road in Downpatrick.

Public toilets the Lough Inch cemetery in Ballynahinch and Struell Cemetery in Downpatrick are also in line for refurbishment under the new council strategy, alongside conveniences at Windmill Street in Ballynahinch.

It will also be confirmed at tonight’s council meeting that almost 300 people responded to a 12-week consultation on the new strategy with over 50 percent of those who responded agreeing with the suggestion to pay to spend a penny. Concern was also expressed about the cleanliness of some public toilets and their layout.

And while council toilets in Newcastle, Dundrum, Castlewellan, Downpatrick, Ballyhornan and Ardglass have reopened after being closed due to coronavirus, those in Saintfield, Ballynahinch, Crossgar and Killyleagh remain closed. They are due to reopen shortly.

Cllr Billy Walker has welcomed the decision to reopen council toilets across the Rowallane area and said the fact that these particular public conveniences have been closed or over a year was “unacceptable.”

He said steps should have been taken earlier to ensure that staff were available to open and maintain the various facilities.

Cllr Walker was particularly critical of the decision to keep toilets in Killyleagh closed given the number of people who visited the town over recent months as Covid restrictions eased.

“Public toilets across the Rowallane area were closed too long for my liking and I am aware that there was concern that conveniences at the town’s Market House and nearby community centre were also closed,” he continued.

“I have been informed that all public toilets across the district will be reopened by June and that is welcome news. With the further easing of lockdown restrictions there will be an increase in the number of visitors to the area and it is vital that all conveniences are available.”