New Honiton public loos coming to Lace Walk car park

The current toilet block has five female and two male cubicles, two urinals and a cubicle for people with disabilities. 

The new block will have red-brick-faced walls, painted metal doors in a “suitable heritage colour” (not multicoloured as pictured) and a flat roof with solar panels.

It will have five unisex and two disabled toilets, opening onto the pavement as well as a bike rack, seating and a water bottle refill point. 

Users will have to pay 40p to spend a penny with a contactless payment card or phone. 

Cllr Yehudi Levine (Lib Dem, Dunkeswell and Otterhead) welcomed the rebuild. 

He said: “I walk past this building once a week at least and it’s horrible.  

“We want to attract visitors to the area… and in order to do that, you’ve got to give them something that they expect: modern facilities. 

“I think that this is a need for our tourist industry as well as our local residents.”

The current loos at Lace Walk's car park. (Image: East Devon District Council)

But Cllr Alasdair Bruce (Independent, Feniton) is not impressed with the design.  

He said: “Those [new facilities] look absolutely appalling compared to the existing building.  

“I think most people would agree the existing building matches far better the current fabric of the area.  

“If that was anything other than a public toilet and we were talking about a building for dwelling or whatever, we would all be looking at that in horror.” 

The new Lace Walk lavatories come as part of a wider East Devon District Council (EDDC) scheme to refurbish or rebuild 15 ‘category A’ public conveniences across the district at an estimated cost of £5 million. 

Another 12 category B and C loos EDDC cannot afford to run have been offered for commercial operators to repurpose them into cafes, takeaways or community hubs – although the public must still be able to go to the loo there – and also to town and parish councils to run in place of EDDC. 

East Devon’s public toilets are ranked as follows:    

Category A    

1. West Street car park, Axminster    
2. Cliff Path (West End/Steamer), Budleigh Salterton    
3. East End (Lime Kiln), Budleigh Salterton    
4. Jubilee Gardens, Beer    
5. Foxholes car park, Exmouth    
6. Magnolia Centre (London Inn), Exmouth     
7. Manor Gardens, Exmouth    
8. Phear Park, Exmouth    
9. Queens Drive, Exmouth    
10. Lace Walk, Honiton    
11. West Walk, Seaton    
12. Connaught Gardens, Sidmouth    
13. Triangle, Sidmouth    
14. Market Place, Sidmouth    
15. Ham car park (new site), Sidmouth    

Categories B and C    

1. Orcombe Point, Exmouth    
2. The Maer, Exmouth    
3. Imperial Road, Exmouth    
4. Jarvis Close, Exmouth    
5. Seaton Hole, Seaton    
6. Harbour Road, Seaton    
7. Marsh Road, Seaton    
8. Brook Road, Budleigh Salterton    
9. Station Road, Budleigh Salterton    
10. Dolphin Street, Colyton    
11. King Street, Honiton    
12. Port Royal, Sidmouth