In response to recent comments on social media, updated: The public toilets in Egerton Park under Bexhill Museum’s west wing are solely owned, maintained, opened and closed by Rother District Council, not the museum.
That said, the museum has lobbied the council for two years now to replace the existing toilets with new units out in the park and properly monitored. Vandalism and arson attacks put the whole building at risk as well as inconveniencing park users.
Also, again in response to social media comments, the newly installed unit next to the museum is not a public toilet but a special facility for the very severely disabled, called a Changing Places Toilet or CPT.
When the CPT was installed this year, the original plan was to add four new toilets (one disabled) next to it.
All the foundations, utilities and foul drainage for the extra loos already have been laid for it with the support of Rother District Council. It only needs now for the toilet block itself to be constructed and craned in. See the artist’s impression top, with dinosaur mural, the site as is, above, and the plans at bottom. Two CCTV cameras, already installed, will cover the two blocks.
Thanks to the existing work carried out without charge to the town, the overall costs of the project have been substantially reduced. Unfortunately, Rother District Council does not have the funds – £125,000 – to finish the job. They had hoped that the Levelling Up funds from the Bexhill Town Board or Bexhill on Sea Town Council would provide the necessary joint-investment instead to enable the museum to extend and improve its services while providing new more secure and family friendly public toilets for Egerton Park users
At their September meeting the Town Council voted against co-funding the work from its existing public toilets budget. Meanwhile the future of the Bexhill Town Board, like others around the country, awaits a decision from the new Labour national government and the UK Treasury. In the meantime, the situation with the existing loos will continue, and the museum will look for other solutions and different partners to finish the project.
For the record, rumours that the CPT is ‘for transgender people’ are categorically untrue. It is designed as a facility for severely disabled people of all sexes and genders who are escorted by professional carers. Funded by Levelling Up money, the CPT makes it possible for even the most disabled people to enjoy the park in comfort and is a marvellous initiative for the town.
You can learn more about Changing Places Toilets here.
