The toilets on Station Approach in Rye will be refurbished this summer says Rother District Council (RDC). Complaints about the condition of the toilets continue to be raised, including at last week's Rye Town Council meeting when they were described as "appalling".
The meeting also suggested the toilets, which are run by RDC but owned by Network Rail, should be knocked down and replaced. A long term solution to the toilets, and their funding, has also been explored by Rye Chamber of Commerce.
In a statement to Rye News a spokesperson for RDC acknowledged the toilets were in urgent need of work. "There have been recurring issues at the Station Approach toilets, and previous repairs have unfortunately not been successful in providing a permanent fix. Over the summer, our maintenance team plans to carry out some refurbishment of the toilets to resolve this. Before work can begin, we need to carry out a full assessment to confirm the repairs that will be needed and look at how we can continue to offer toilet facilities whilst work is in progress.”
The work will take place at the busiest time for the tourist season. The three other public toilets could be closed for the winter during renovation work connected to new commercial leases. RDC is in the process of leasing the toilets on the Strand and Gun Garden to be partly converted into coffee shops, with the building on the Salts becoming a cycle hub with toilet provision.
That plan will be discussed by RDC's Overview and Scrutiny Committee on Monday, July 7 after councillors raised concerns about a lack of public consultation. Councillors will decide whether to "call in" the plan to lease the toilets across the district for a full debate at the council. Councillors covering Sedlescombe and Winchelsea Beach have raised the issue for discussion, but it's likely any decision will also affect all the toilets being leased commercially in the district - including the three in Rye.
