Councillors to discuss plans for new East Cliff toilets

Proposals for new public toilets in the East Cliff area of Herne Bay are set to be discussed by councillors next week.

At a Cabinet meeting on Monday (5 October), councillors will consider a report (item 10) outlining plans to replace the external public toilets at the King’s Hall with new facilities a short distance along the promenade, close to the beach huts and the site of a proposed new sauna.

The new facilities would comprise two unisex cubicles and one accessible/baby changing unit and would be located on the prom around 350 metres east of the King’s Hall.

As part of the council’s £2 million revamp of the King’s Hall, the venue’s current external toilets on the side of the building will be removed during 2027 in order to improve accessibility and make much more of the sea view.

Council officers have been working through options for where replacement public toilets could be located and are recommending the East Cliff site as the one to go with.

As well as providing a new accessible/baby changing unit, which is not part of the current external facilities at the King’s Hall, the East Cliff option would provide public toilets close to the 30 beach huts that have been built in recent years, with more potentially in the pipeline.

And the upgrades to the King’s Hall include a 35 per cent increase in the venue’s internal toilets, so the two elements taken together would represent a significant increase in toilet provision in this part of Herne Bay.

If supported by Cabinet, the new toilets at East Cliff would cost around £135,000 and would open in the spring of 2027.

The council has already publicly stated that it does not intend to close the current King’s Hall’s external toilets until the new toilets at East Cliff are operational.

In the unlikely event of a gap between the closure of the current toilets and the new toilets opening, temporary portaloos would be provided in the area.

Further along the seafront, the council is looking at options to try and bring the currently closed toilets at St George’s back into use. These have been shut due to structural issues with the building and portaloos are being provided instead.

The Cabinet meeting to consider the East Cliff proposals takes place at the Guildhall in Canterbury on Monday 5 October at 7pm and is open to the public to attend, with a livestream available for those who cannot.

Published: 30 September 2026