Pay-to-pee or go short

Loos will close unless more people go

Going to the loo in the South Hams will become less convenient if the public conveniences are removed - and that will happen unless more people pay to pee.

It costs nearly a million pounds a year for the public to spend a penny in the district and it needs to save £226,000 of that. So it's planning to charge 20p a pee (or whatever else you do in there; that charge will get you into the cubicle; everything subsequently is down to you). People with disabilities will still have free access, gaining entry by radar.

Right now, the South Hams enjoys 41 public lavatories, but the council says they can't keep that number under the current free-to-pee arrangements. If the proposals go ahead, they'll install entry systems in the busiest loos, which have the highest running costs. Fifteen others will be transferred to local town or parish council ownership.

So it's putting its commercial hat on. The councillor responsible for commercial services, Cllr Rufus Gilbert, says: “We’re facing harsh financial realities and we need to react sensibly to the future of the toilets in the South Hams. We are committed as a council to keeping toilet provisions open, but we have to be realistic about what we can manage with very tight purse strings."

The toilets, subject to the consultation, which will become pay-on-entry are:

• Bigbury
• Whitestrand
• Creek, Salcombe
• North Sands, Salcombe
• South Sands, Salcombe
• Coronation Road, Totnes
• Steamer Quay, Totnes
• Civic Hall, Totnes
• Fore Street, Kingsbridge
• Slapton Line
• Glanvilles Mill, Ivybridge
• Wembury
• Dittisham
• Mill Bay
• Ferry Steps, Salcombe
• Hope Cove

They're discussing the ideas with interested parties until the end of September, and then reporting findings to the council's leadership team on 18th October.