Welsh national park to fund public toilets for further two years

Bruce Sinclair – Local democracy reporter 

A call for a national park to once again financially contribute to the upkeep of 10 public toilets, this time to the tune of just under £123,000 a year, has been backed.

Back in 2023, the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park agreed to make a contribution of £111,000 a year, for two years, to fund toilet facilities at West Angle, Freshwater East, Manorbier, Newport Sands / Traeth Mawr, Poppit Sands, Saundersfoot, Broad Haven North, Solva, Little Haven and St Brides.

At the time there were fears, due to financial constraints, that some council-run public toilets could close if alternative sources of funding, including being taken over by local town and community councils or – in the case of the 10 outlined – support from the national park could not be agreed.

Contribution

A report before members at the October 22 meeting of Pembrokeshire Coast National Park said, with the ending of the two-year period, Pembrokeshire County Council has now asked for a contribution including inflationary pressures, along with a £2,000 contribution per toilet for any capital works, amounting to £142,986.38.

However, the park’s income working group has decided the £2,000 figure was “unreasonable given the very limited investment from PCC on facilities in the last two years,” instead recommending a further two years payment plus inflation without that element, resulting in a payment of some £122,986.38 per year.

It was also recommended more clarity be sought from PCC about the off-setting of any contribution against the income generated from some toilets which have a charging function, such as Saundersfoot and Newport Sands/Traeth Mawr.

Support

The report warned the park’s future financial outlook “is challenging as the impact of cumulative reductions in core funding together with significant cost rises is felt,” with the budget for 25-26 forecasting a deficit of £566,000 for the year, and deficits in excess of £1m are predicted for the next three financial years.

Members backed the recommendation for a further two years’ support for the 10 toilets from April 1 of next year, without the £2,000 contribution, with the caveat the contribution should specify that the running costs of Traeth Mawr/Newport Sands be revisited once improvement works have been undertaken, and that income generated at Saundersfoot and Traeth Mawr/Newport Sands be off-set against costs for these locations.