New public toilets - that cost almost £100,000 - unveiled in Bloxwich

A pledge by Walsall Council in the 2021 election promised public toilets for the borough’s local centres and Bloxwich is the first to receive them, with future plans to roll them out in Willenhall after a trial period.

The new toilet is located on the high street by the main bus stop and is now open for business.

The unit is the first self-cleaning toilet to operate in the UK in 18 years and once it has been used, it locks for a brief period to automatically clean the floor and toilet before the next use, reducing the cost to maintain it.

The toilet can be managed remotely and will automatically unlock for use between the hours of 7am-8pm. The units are built with the capability to take payment however there are no plans at present to charge.

Councillor Adrian Andrew, Associate Leader of Walsall Council said: “Residents have been asking for public toilets in our town and district centres for a while which is why we made the promise to invest in public toilets in 2021.

“Since that pledge, we have seen the opening of new public toilets and changing place toilets in the Saddlers Centre, as well as changing place toilets in Bloxwich library and Darlaston Town Hall and I’m pleased to see the public toilet now up and running in Bloxwich.”

The new public toilet is fully accessible and includes baby change facilities. 

The Bloxwich High Street unit will serve as a pilot, and the council will monitor how much the toilet is used and the maintenance required. 

Following this trial period, there is a commitment to roll out toilets in Willenhall if the pilot is successful.

Walsall Council said that manufacture and installation of the toilet unit in Bloxwich cost around £98,000 of council capital budget.