Brighton & Hove: More Toilets Open For The Summer

Brighton & Hove City Council have announced that more toilets have reopened in the city and on its beaches for the summer. 

The sites that have been refurbished include Kings Esplanade, Daltons, Station Road and the Saltdean Undercliff public toilets. 

Kings Esplanade and Daltons are now open, and the public toilets in Station Road and the Saltdean Undercliff will open in the next couple of weeks.

This was phase 1 of Brighton & Hove City Council's public toilet refurbishment programme.

The refurbishments took place over the winter to allow the council to keep the toilets open throughout the city’s busiest time of year.

Brighton & Hove City Council have invested a total of £1.333 million into public toilets across the city so far.

£126,500 of the investment came from the Carbon Neutral Fund to provide motion sensor lighting, flushes and taps.

Motion-activated bathroom fixtures save on the use of electricity and water across the newly refurbished sites. 

Brighton & Hove City Council say they are committed to becoming a carbon neutral city by 2030 by reducing the impacts of climate change through adaptation measures. 

As well as improving the condition of the toilets, the council provided additional facilities to make them more accessible for everyone in Brighton & Hove.

This includes increasing the number of ambulant toilet facilities and providing additional Changing Places toilets across the city. 

Changing Places toilets are designed to support the needs of all people with disabilities. 

They include a height-adjustable changing bench, an overhead track or mobile hoist, a peninsular toilet, privacy screen and enough space for up to two carers.

Daltons, located on the lower promenade by the zip wire, now has two additional male and female Changing Places toilet facilities.

Ambulant toilets are designed for people with disabilities who do not require extra space for a wheelchair or other supportive equipment. They include a coat hook, a lock lever and a grab rail.

All refurbished sites now include ambulant toilet facilities, with three at Daltons, one at Kings Esplanade by Hove Lawns, and two at the toilets at the Saltdean Undercliff and Station Road in Portslade.

All sites have been improved to include additional facilities to benefit families. 

Family rooms include a changing table and child’s toilet, which is smaller and more accessible. Family rooms can also be used as an additional cubicle when not in use by a family.

Daltons, Kings Esplanade and Saltdean Undercliff all now have family rooms available to use. 

Due to the limited space of the Station Road toilets, a changing table has been included in both the men’s and women’s facilities so that a parent, carer or guardian can change a nappy in a private space, rather than in the communal area. 

Daltons has three additional cubicles in the women’s facilities.

Kings Esplanade and Station Road both have one additional cubicle in the women’s facilities. 

Saltdean Undercliff toilets have four additional cubicles in the women’s facilities and two additional cubicles in the men’s facilities. 

Four additional urinals have also been installed at Saltdean Undercliff.

Councillor Tim Rowkins, Chair of the City Environment, South Downs and The Sea Committee, said:

“Getting the city’s public toilets reopened is a top priority for us, and we’re very pleased to see these newly refurbished, accessible and inclusive facilities now available for our residents and visitors to use.

“Public toilets play an essential role in the accessibility of the city and the refurbishment plans have carefully considered the requirements of all residents and visitors.

“Each site now has ambulant toilet facilities and a new Changing Places Toilet can be found at Daltons on the seafront.

“With Kings Esplanade and Daltons now open, all our city centre seafront sites can be used by residents and visitors enjoying our beautiful beaches. 

“Residents will be pleased to hear that we’re reopening the Saltdean Undercliff and Station Road public toilets in the next couple of weeks and have started to extend the opening hours of other public toilets across the city. 

“We’re still recruiting more staff to look after the city’s public toilets and will reopen more over the next few months when positions have been filled.”

The council is now advertising a job role for anyone with a vehicle who would like to work to keep toilets in the city clean and well-stocked.

To find out more about the role and how to apply, visit the job summary page on the council’s website: www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/jobs/job-details?job_id=31124