North Yorkshire Council is rushing to install twenty temporary toilets in Filey and Scarborough this month to ensure visitors have facilities for the bank holiday.
The move follows the sudden closure of permanent toilet blocks at Royal Parade in Filey and the West Pier in Scarborough due to serious structural issues. This rapid response is vital for the regional tourism industry, as both towns expect thousands of visitors over the Easter break and the approaching summer season.
Structural defects and heavy rainfall forced the closure of the Filey block in February, while engineers found similar safety concerns at the West Pier shortly after. Council leader Carl Les said: “We fully understand and appreciate the frustration caused by the current lack of toilet facilities in Filey and Scarborough. With both Royal Parade and West Pier, we were left with no alternative but to close the facilities due to the safety concerns raised.”
The council has secured fifteen temporary units for the West Pier car park and five for Royal Parade. While this is fewer than the original number of cubicles, officials are looking for ways to add more. Carl Les added: “We have faced a number of challenges in securing temporary provision on both sites, but we have been actively exploring alternative options. We are pleased to have now secured 20 temporary toilets, which will be fully operational by the end of this month.”
Longer term plans to rebuild or fix the permanent sites are still being developed. In the meantime, the temporary blocks will include accessible provision to keep the seafronts functional for everyone. Carl Les said: “I would like to thank our communities for their ongoing cooperation as we worked to reach a positive resolution as quickly as possible.”
The new units are expected to be ready for use by the end of March. Residents and tourists can find a full map of open facilities by visiting the North Yorkshire Council website at www.northyorks.gov.uk/toilets.
