The pretty harbour of Burnham Overy Staithe, near Wells in Norfolk, welcomes hordes of visitors at peak summer season – but while its “stunning views” leave much to be admired, visitors have noticed one big issue on the waterfront. The beauty spot doesn’t have any public toilets, leaving tourists no option but to head to the local pub, The Hero or use the village hall’s facilities during its limited opening hours. One holidaymaker took drastic measures and “peed in the sand” after failing to find toilets on the seafront – also taking to TripAdvisor to bemoan a lack of other facilities near the water and urging fellow visitors to “take a picnic and drinks”.
Members of Burnham Overy Parish Council have considered installing toilets on the staithe, according to the Eastern Daily Press, with concerns around “no infrastructure” to deal with an “influx of people” raised in a recent meeting. However, uncertainty around the funding for new toilets and where they would be placed caused the matter to be shelved, and discussions pivoted to the installation of signs directing walkers to nearby facilities. “It was decided not to take this further,” the council minutes read. “It was [instead] discussed whether there could be temporary signage to state [that the] public can use [the] pub or village hall toilets.”
The harbour has retained a 4.5-star rating on the tourist attraction website despite its lack of toilet provision, with visitors praising its link to the Norfolk Coast path and water sports facilities, including boat, paddle board and kayak hire.
The waterfront’s free car park has also helped boost its popularity with day-trippers, though it’s unlikely they’ll be able to spend a penny without heading in-land soon.
The decision not to install toilets on the harbour comes after nearby North Norfolk Council was forced to U-turn on plans to shut another town’s only public toilet, announced as a bid to plug the local authority’s growing financial deficit last year.
Half the population of Stalham in the Norfolk Broads signed a petition calling for the loo to be saved and the council agreed to keep it open for at least a year while examining the possibility of opening up a new facility elsewhere in the town.
Eastern England isn’t alone in the trend of reduced public toilet facilities, often driven by dwindling council finances. A report published by Age UK in January revealed that nearly 100 public loos had closed in London over the last decade – three times as many as had been opened.
Campaign manager John McGeachy said the facilities were especially important for older people and those with health conditions, for whom “the availability of public toilets can determine whether they feel able to leave their homes”.
