New Budleigh Salterton public loos near Lime Kiln car park

The current toilet block will be demolished, and when the replacement opens, users will have to pay 40p to spend a penny with a contactless payment card or phone. 

Refurbished in 2011, the current building is believed to date from the 1930s and features one disabled toilet and four unisex loos opening onto the coast path, as well as an external shower for beachgoers. 

The new block will have fibre-cement timber-look cladding, painted metal doors in beach-hut colours and a flat roof with solar panels. It will have one disabled loo and four unisex toilets as before, but also a ‘Changing Places’ facility for people with severe disabilities, two outside showers, a bike rack, a water bottle refill point and seating. 

When asked whether it could withstand pebbles dashing it during storms, councillors were assured it would be “robust”

But Cllr Brian Bailey (Conservative, Exmouth Littleham) was not happy with the design, describing the new block as “hideous”. 

He said: “It’s completely out of keeping with buildings on the seafront.  

“If you put a flat roof with solar panels on, some little darlings of Budleigh will be… having great fun leaping off the cliff onto the roof. It’ll be their latest sport. 

“I think it’s absolutely unacceptable.”

The existing toilet block at Budleigh Salterton. (Image: East Devon District Council)

By contrast, Cllr Anne Hall (Lib Dem, Exmouth Littleham) argued the flat roof was in keeping with nearby flat-roofed apartments. 

The new Budleigh loos come as part of a wider East Devon District Council (EDDC) scheme to refurbish or rebuild 15 ‘category A’ public conveniences across the district at an estimated cost of £5 million. 

Another 12 category B and C loos EDDC cannot afford to run have been offered for commercial operators to change them into cafes, takeaways or community hubs – although the public must still be able to go to the loo there – and also to town and parish councils to run in place of EDDC. 

East Devon’s public toilets are ranked as follows:    

Category A    

1. West Street car park, Axminster    
2. Cliff Path (West End/Steamer), Budleigh Salterton    
3. East End (Lime Kiln), Budleigh Salterton    
4. Jubilee Gardens, Beer    
5. Foxholes car park, Exmouth    
6. Magnolia Centre (London Inn), Exmouth     
7. Manor Gardens, Exmouth    
8. Phear Park, Exmouth    
9. Queens Drive, Exmouth    
10. Lace Walk, Honiton    
11. West Walk, Seaton    
12. Connaught Gardens, Sidmouth    
13. Triangle, Sidmouth    
14. Market Place, Sidmouth    
15. Ham car park (new site), Sidmouth    

Categories B and C    

1. Orcombe Point, Exmouth    
2. The Maer, Exmouth    
3. Imperial Road, Exmouth    
4. Jarvis Close, Exmouth    
5. Seaton Hole, Seaton    
6. Harbour Road, Seaton    
7. Marsh Road, Seaton    
8. Brook Road, Budleigh Salterton    
9. Station Road, Budleigh Salterton    
10. Dolphin Street, Colyton    
11. King Street, Honiton    
12. Port Royal, Sidmouth