Seafront toilet refurb likely to start next winter

A refurb of a cramped and leaky block of toilets on Brighton seafront is likely to start next winter, the council says.

The council does not yet know how long the work on the Colonnade toilets on Madeira Drive will take, or what alternative arrangements will be available.

The work is being done because the crumbling deck above is leaking into the toilets below. It’s not part of the section of the Madeira Terrace on which restoration work is due to start next month, and so a different solution needs to be found.

Maintenance staff have rigged up makeshift drain system, and this month Brighton and Hove City Council submitted a planning application to itself to install a more robust, aluminium version.

At the same time, it wants to rejig the layout of both the men’s and women’s toilets to make the disabled toilet cubicles bigger, install a family cubicle in the ladies, new urinals in the gents and revamp the unisex Changing Places cubicle.

Councillor Tim Rowkins, the council’s environment lead, said: “We currently have an application being considered for listed building consent which we will need to complete the refurbishment of these toilets, so are not able to go into specific detail until the outcome of that has been decided.

“If approved we expect this work to be carried out next year, most likely during the autumn and winter months where this area of the seafront is traditionally quieter.

“If we are successful in securing listed building consent we will then finalise the design and budget and put the contract out to tender.

“A full programme of works will be produced by the successful contractor, including a timeline. Dates of any closures or alternative arrangements will be shared with residents ahead of work starting.

“We are not currently in a position to publish a budget for this piece of work because the designs are still being developed and may be impacted by the building consent decision.

“We can confirm, however, the cost will be able to be met by the remainder of our capital investment for public toilet refurbishment.”