Locals praise car park toilet reopening plans

Residents and business owners have praised plans to reopen a long-closed set of public toilets.

Chippenham Town Council announced that a refurbishment of the Borough Parade Car Park toilet block is currently taking place and that the "newly refreshed" facilities will open over the summer.

The council has taken over the lease of the block from Wiltshire Council, which has been closed for around 10 years and says it has invested £100,000 in the works.

Karen Stokes, who owns Humbugs The Sweet Shop, said that the town did not have enough toilets and that the re-opening was a "really good idea".

"It's not like years ago, when there were public conveniences everywhere. People currently have to pop into like a coffee shop or perhaps the Angel Hotel," she added.

She hoped the new convenience would also boost trade in the town.

Fellow resident Kay said that it was "good news" after years of reductions in the facilities available, adding that it had a disproportionate impact on older people.

It is the latest move by authorities in the town to make public toilets more accessible, following the announcement that all council-run toilets would be free to access from the beginning of April.

Local councillor Declan Baseley said that re-opening the toilets had been long requested by residents.

"The feedback that we've had from residents for a long time is that they want more access to toilet facilities," he said.

"It's been a complete eyesore for ten years. It's one of the first things that visitors will see when they come and park into town.

"Delivering a new, exciting, modern toilet block shows that we've taken feedback from people that we're delivering something new."

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