Future of Hampton toilets to be discussed at Cabinet

A report recommending that the public toilets at Hampton remain open for now and that a full appraisal of the site’s future is carried out will be discussed at a meeting of the city council’s Cabinet on Tuesday 12 July.

Earlier this year, the council went out to consultation on a proposal to shut the facilities in order to save on the costs of maintaining and cleaning them, on the grounds there are other toilets close by, they are only open in summer season and the building is in a poor condition.

The consultation attracted 324 comments with nearly 90 per cent not in favour of the closure. Reasons cited included the adjacent play area being popular with families and the closest other toilets being too far away for some people to be able to get to.

Other feedback put forward suggestions for other uses of the site, such as a cafe, and concerns were also raised over the future of Herne Bay Table Tennis Club, which uses part of the building.

Now, Cabinet will decide whether to keep the toilets open while council officers assess options for the long term future of the whole building. These could include complete redevelopment, refurbishment or its sale.

Cabinet member for environmental services, Cllr Andrew Cook, said: “We’re grateful to everyone who took part in the consultation. In particular, it was interesting to see people suggesting what else we could do with the building, given its position in such a prominent seafront location.

“Cabinet will be discussing the way forward and we’re sure there will be lots of public interest in what happens next.”

The Cabinet meeting takes place in the Guildhall in Canterbury at 7pm on Tuesday 12 July. Any member of the public interested in speaking about the Hampton item should go to the council’s website and follow the process for registering to speak.

Published: 4 July 2022