Thanet council plan to sell or transfer ‘disused’ toilets, pavilions and land

Public toilets

Closed toilets in Thanet will be transferred to town and parish councils or sold on the open market.

The decision, expected to be given the green light by Thanet council Cabinet, is the first part of an ongoing review of the isle’s public toilets.

Loos in Beresford Gap, Birchington, Marina Road, Ramsgate, Minnis Bay, Birchington, Park Road, Margate, St Johns Cemetery, Margate and Albion Street, Broadstairs will be sold at market value.

For the toilet at St Johns Cemetery preference will be given to a use that is related to bereavement. Broadstairs and St Peters Town Council have expressed an interest in buying the closed loos at Albion Street as part of their regeneration plans for Broadstairs.

Land and toilets in Minster have been operated by Minster-in-Thanet Parish Council for several years. Council officers are recommending  a community asset transfer to the Parish Council.

The urinal in Park Road, Margate, is Grade II listed. The cast Iron Victorian structure was listed by Historic England in 1997. It has suffered vandalism and rubbish has been dumped at the site.

Photo Frank Leppard
Photo Frank Leppard

A report to Cabinet members says: “A review of operational property, including toilets is ongoing. The first stage of this review has been to identify and confirm closed toilets, that have not been in operation for many years, are surplus to Thanet council requirements. They are in various stages of disrepair and bringing them to the market will provide opportunities for redevelopment subject to all necessary consents.”

Victoria Gardens Photo VisitThanet

The bandstand, clock tower, kiosk and shelter in the area of Victoria Gardens, Broadstairs have already been approved for transfer to Broadstairs and St. Peters Town Council. The council is now expected to agree a similar arrangement for Victoria Gardens, including the toilets.

The report states: “Broadstairs and St Peters Town Council intend to operate the toilets for members of the public continued use.”

Madeira Walk waterfall Photo Brian Whitehead

Other property under discussion includes Albion Gardens, including the Madeira Waterfall, in Ramsgate. It is proposed to transfer this site to Ramsgate Town Council or another qualifying community organisation.

Newgate Gap Shelter and The Oval, in Cliftonville, will be advertised for community asset transfer as will pavilions, previously operated by Your Leisure which have been returned to the council, in Garlinge, Hartsdown and Northdown. These are used by sports and social clubs and  the council aims to dispose of them to the clubs through a community asset transfer.

Nayland Rock Hotel Photo Mel Chennell

A public consultation will also take place about the possible transfer or sale of land at Hartsdown  and another for the earmarked sale to the owners of the Nayland Rock Hotel of land fronting Royal Crescent .

It is also proposed to sell off land at the rear of Margate’s Tudor House.

Thanet council is carrying out the review as part of a bid to save £175,000 in its 2019-20 budget.

Cabinet members are expected to approve the disposals when they meet on January 29.

15 Comments

  1. The lack of open toliets in thanet is ridiculous , just back from Bournemouth , open loos everywhere , why doesn’t the council pay pubs etc to allow public use , other places and countries in Europe do !

  2. This proves the contempt our council has for Thanet so no toilets so do we do it on the pavement or better still on councils steps

  3. Will TDC serve themselves with a repairs notice on the listed Park Road urinal and restore it before selling it off? Scandalous neglect.

  4. TDC are about to waste £2m on some station in the middle of nowhere and £2m plus on some meaningless refurbishment of the council offices. TDC need to feel some of the hurt that they are imposing on the people of Thanet! Use the money for services!!!

  5. I echo that Mike! Does this Tory local council have no sense of priority? Selling off assets owned by us, so the money can be spent on building an unwanted, and unneeded railway station, which I believe may well then be owned by a private railway company, how ludicrous! Vote them out in May!

    • I cannot understand what a local authority is doing by building a railway station. Railways are run by private companies – as they were originally and competing companies built their own stations and laid their own track.

      If there is a need for an additional station to serve the expanding population of Cliffsend then surely that is a commercial decision for the railway company.

      Bus services are being cut because they are not sufficiently used and subsidies from local authorities cut because local authorities don’t have the money – but we build a new train station.

      Is every body that used to travel by bus now travelling by train ?

  6. Do this council not appreciate that elderly people need toilets when they are out for fresh air remember this council when they had meetings in Albion house they would argue like children in a school playground that is their mentality no wonder this town of ours is going to pot the voting box is the way to change their attitudes

  7. From this point onwards, just do what the chav/drunk populus do and urinate in the streets. If you get caught ask them to direct you to the nearest open toilet; I’m pretty sure they won’t want to walk all the way to Canterbury.

    Also, I hope you like flats instead of parks because guess what, you’ll be having that change soon too; because who wants a park when you can built an overexpensive flat complex and fill it with Londoners.

    • I think what we should do with this councils ridiculous ideas for no toilets is vote them out at the next elections just to show them our anger.

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