Council will not open portaloos in Bognor Regis after closure of public toilets for refurbishment

They explained that ‘it is not possible’ to provide portaloos on the plot due to 'limited space in the area and the need for a contractor.’

"There are three public toilet blocks available within 500 metres (or 6 minutes) of the Bedford Street toilets and we will be providing appropriate signage to give directions,” they added.

The toilets were closed on October 10 and refurbishment works will be carried out until the first week of March next year, meaning the facilities – right outside Morrisons supermarket – will be out of order during the Christmas period. Alternative facilities are available at the Regis Centre car park, the London Road car park and Waterloo Square and should, according to the council, provide 'sufficient facilities’ for shoppers.

It’s hoped that completing the refurbishment now will make for a smoother ride next season. A spokesperson said: “the decision was made to close the toilets from October to cause minimum disruption to the busy summer season.”

The news comes despite the fact that several councillors have called for the installation of portaloos on the site. Arun District councillor Steve Goodheart (Ind) said the lack of a replacement over the Christmas period is ‘madness’.

Although he supports the renovation of the town centre toilets, Mr Goodheart believes public facilities will be necessary throughout the busy winter. “It’s such an important part of the modern shopping experience that everyone expects it to be available,” he said.

He explained that the temporary toilets would not need to be located near on Bedford Street itself, but instead on the ground floor of the Morrisons car park. This, he said, would be the best solution for ‘customers and the town centre’, allowing the works to be carried out without effecting Christmas shoppers.

Fellow councillor Jeanette Warr (Lib Dem) echoed his opinion. She said: “They’re going to be out of action quite some time. We should try to organise a deal with Morrisons to get portaloos put in their car park, so people have somewhere they can go.”

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