Thanet council Cabinet members have given the green light to the third phase of Thanet’s public toilets refurbishment and renewal project.
The final phase of the scheme covers the repair and refurbishment of 16 public facilities across the district, with a provisional total spend of £400,000, subject to Full Council approving the budget for 2025/26 at a meeting scheduled for Thursday 27 February.
Cllr Steve Albon, Cabinet Member for Cleansing and Coastal Services, said:“The provision of public toilets is something that we recognise as being really important to our residents and the people who come here to visit. It’s been an area of focus for us since last year.
“Ahead of the summer we were able to achieve a significant programme of refurbishment at a number of locations, including internal repairs, new plumbing, fittings, replacement tiles and sealant where needed, as well as external and roof repairs.
“Now Cabinet has confirmed these projects can go ahead, we will see the refurbishment programme completed.
“This will be in addition to the plans already in place for two brand new facilities. Both Margate Main Sands and Stone Bay in Broadstairs will benefit from toilets that will be fully accessible.
“Now that all the proposed work has got the green light, even more people can be confident that they can come to Thanet, get out and enjoy the beautiful coastline and open spaces the isle has to offer.”
The first phase of repair works is complete and work for phase two, at Minnis Bay, Birchington, and Victoria Gardens, Broadstairs, is currently out to tender.
A list of all the council’s public toilets, alongside their opening hours can be found at: thanet.gov.uk/public-toilets/
“The provision of public toilets is something that we recognise as being really important to our residents and the people who come here to visit.”
(except in winter months in Stone Bay, Joss Bay, Botany Bay and Palm Bay)
Cllr Steve Albon, Cabinet Member for Cleansing and Coastal Services, said:“The provision of public toilets is something that we recognise as being really important to our residents
…and this is why we close all the coastal toilets between Broadstairs and Margate for months during the winter.
It would be laughable, if it weren’t for the fact that people with disabilities and medical issues are being forced to keep away from Thanet’s most picturesque coast-line.
I often get caught out when out for a walk and have to use either a cafe or a pub loo! It seems beyond belief that we want to encourage people to the area all year round and for the elderly and not so fit younger people to take in the sea air on a bracing walk but no facilities are open!
The problem with that is I feel obliged to buy a drink, which is the last thing I want when there’s no more loos. I also often have muddy boots, so traipsing through (say) The Captain Digby is hardly fair on them!
Perhaps the Councillor could clear up all the graffiti on the Cavendish rd toilet.The car park it also sits in is filthy.Years of negligence.The car park has overgrown bushes,is full of weeds and along with the graffiti is quite an intimidating place to go for a wee.The usual apalling levels of cleansing.
Whilst it might have changed, the bandstand toilets in broadstairs for me had the gold medal when it came to ineffective cleaning, the eye watering stench would have made chemical Ali consider using the atmosphere in battle. It was hard to believe that any cleaner had ever done more than lean through the main door and give a couple of squirts with a spray bottle then leave. The experience reallly shouldn’t be one of the most graphic memories of broadstairs a visitor has.
They rival the now-closed toilets near Margate clock tower for fetidness!
I agree about the toilets in Cavendish Street.Looks like Beirut.I would be too frightened to use them.The area looks menacing because the council have neglected it.Potholes,litter,overgrown trees,unswept,grafitti,everything metal is rusted.Probably hasnt had a council oprative visit for 20 years.Apalling.
I used them just once, about 7 or 8 years ago – and there were people openly taking drugs. And that’s when Ramsgate still had enough shops to be worth spending 45 minutes on the bus for!
I use the Cavendish Street loos sometimes and they’ve always been fine.
Blimey! Your standards are even lower than I thought.
I think that there may be a huge difference in the experience between the male and female facilties there.
The male side is a disguting experience where people will follow you in to watch (even though I am not worth watching), will take over the cubicle while a group take turns getting their fix and the cubicle itself will frequently have ‘peep holes’ created faster than they are fixed. When my daughter was younger (so had to take her into a male facility) I would always try to convince her that she was not desperate enough to make it to the toilets on the seafront rather than go there.
The toilets at the Nayland Rock in Margate are similar but worse as they are bigger and attract more undesirables.
Different types of people can have different types of experiences.
The female ones aren’t much better according to my other half.
If filth, alcoholics and drug addicts blocking way to the toilets are your thing then god help us all. What would the MP for East Thanet have to say on that?
Peter Checksfield- I have read other comments by you which were not at all polite to women. I think you should seek therapeutic help.