End of the line for public toilets? Council begins review into how facilities are run

A review is to be carried out by East Cambridgeshire District Council to see if the district’s public toilets are up to scratch.

A crack team of officers and councillors will review whether the district’s portfolio of nine public toilets, which cost more than £200,000 to run, are delivering value for money, are fit for purpose, and are running as efficiently as possible.

A report will then be produced outlining whether the toilets need updating, closing or could help generate additional revenue for the public purse.

Emma Grima, corporate unit manager, told the council’s commercial services committee that the review would be carried out by six people, including councillors David Brown, Bill Hunt and Jeremy Friend-Smith and would take more than six months to complete.

According to the district council’s figures, it costs taxpayers £217,467.93 to run the toilets every year.

The district’s most expensive loo is located in The Cloisters, in Ely, with more than £30,000 spent every year.

In Ely, the council also has toilets in Sacrists Gate, Ship Lane, Palace Green, Newnham Street and Barton Road. There are facilities in The Causeway, in Burwell, Carter Street, in Fordham, and Main Street, in Littleport.

The council employs eight people to keep the toilets clean.

As part of the review, toilets could be transferred into parish council ownership, closed, upgraded or charges may even be introduced.