Village visitors 'squatting in bushes' as loos shut

5 hours ago

Evie LakeNorth East and Cumbria

News image — Leader of the parish council Martin Smith said the "constant repairs" were unacceptable

Craster Parish Council Martin Smith looking into the camera with a straight face. He has grey, short hair and is wearing rectangular glasses, a grey hoodie with a blue striped polo shirt underneath. He is standing on the right of a red disabled toilet door which has a laminated piece of paper attached to it underneath the disabled sign. It reads 'temporarily closed for maintenance' in red letters. — Leader of the parish council Martin Smith said the "constant repairs" were unacceptable

The state of a village's public toilets is ruining its reputation, a council has warned.

Craster Parish Council said the toilets were repeatedly closed, with them being shut again last week due to plumbing issues.

It said the thousands of visitors who descended on the village on the Northumberland coast ahead of the bank holiday weekend were instead directed to use the facilities at local businesses, but at its latest meeting one resident said she saw visitors squatting in nearby bushes.

The parish council called for Northumberland County Council to take action, but a spokesperson said the toilets had already had "significant investment" and "further improvement works" were planned.

Chair of Craster Parish Council councillor Martin Smith said: "Craster is one of the most iconic and beautiful villages in Northumberland."

But he accused the county council of "milking Craster like a honeypot" by making money from the village's parking and tourism, while "giving very little back to the village itself".

"Visitors come here from across the country and beyond, yet the first impression many receive is a set of public toilets that are repeatedly breaking down, closed or not fit for purpose," Smith said.

'Promised renovation'

Craster Parish Council has called on the county council to fully refurbish the toilets, which it said had been promised but was delayed.

"We recognise and applaud county councils over many years for their commitment to public conveniences, but this constant cycle of temporary repairs and delays is simply not acceptable any longer," Smith said.

"We need the promised renovation brought forward urgently before further damage is done to the reputation of the village and to the experience of residents and visitors alike."

The spokesperson for the county council said the toilets had been closed in the run up to the bank holiday, but reopened in time for the weekend.

"At Craster, significant investment has already been made," they said.

"While these upgrades have led to a noticeable reduction in service disruptions, occasional blockages can still occur- most frequently caused by the disposal of inappropriate items down toilets, such as nappies and wet wipes.

"We understand the importance of these toilets to both the local community and visitors and further improvements to the toilets at Craster are planned."