Residents will soon be able to spend a penny in town park toilets

Trowbridge Town Council had hoped the toilets would be open in time for the summer but the timetable slipped because of the need to go out to tender.

One of the three units will be accessible for use by people with disabilities. There will also be a store for cleaning materials.

It will be installed close to the children’s play area, tennis courts and the refreshments kiosk once the groundworks are completed.

Council leader, Cllr Stewart Palmen said: “The process of having to spend public money intrinsically has delays.

“The first thing being that you have to get three quotes for everything so that we can all agree that we need to do the groundworks.

Work starts on the groundworks for the public toilets in Trowbridge Town Park. (Image: Trevor Porter)

“Whereas a normal company would just call up their favourite groundworks guy and do it we had to put it out to tender.

“It is just really just all that frustrating process. It has taken a long time to go through the correct process.”

Now the groundworks contractor appointed has begun to dig the ditches for the sewerage pipes associated with the new toilets.

Once the work is complete, the modular building already built and being stored in a warehouse will be easily and quickly installed, Cllr Palmen said.

The previous public toilets in the park were demolished in 2019 because of complaints about anti-social behaviour by some park users.

For the past five years, there has been a concerted campaign by Conservative councillors and some residents for them to be replaced.

In September 2020, councillors voted 8-1 to install new toilets following criticism about the lack of public facilities in the town park.

The council finally submitted plans for the new block in April and they were approved by Wiltshire Council at the end of May.

The new toilets are being installed next to the tennis courts in Trowbridge Town Park. (Image: Trevor Porter)

The toilets are a fundamental part of plans costing more than £850,000 to improve facilities in the town park.

Back in May, councillors approved plans to request a £850,000 loan from the government’s Department of Levelling Up Housing and Communities.

The money will be used to help restore the town park pond, install additional lighting, and refurbish the historic art-deco bandstand for live music performances.

It will also be used to upgrade the nine-hole mini golf course, create a ‘Go Wild’ pathway and to enhance the children’s play area to make it more inclusive.