Public toilets set to return to Bloxwich and Willenhall town centres

Walsall Council has earmarked £250,000 for the Pilot Changing Places/public toilets initiative aimed at boosting the district centres in the budget for 2023/24.

Both areas lost their conveniences a number of years ago because of concerns over anti-social behaviour and safeguarding issues related to the facilities.

Authority bosses said the new loos will be very different from the previous ones found in the old brick buildings and will be made more accessible for people who struggle to use traditional toilets.

Deputy leader Adrian Andrew said: “This is something we’ve been trying to do for quite some time and were scuppered a bit by Covid. We did try and look at this before then.

“The very idea we are looking at trying to do with the pilots is come up with a new way of running and managing toilets.

“In Bloxwich it was a difficult thing, they were shut down through safeguarding issues and then demolished rather than it becoming a magnet for anti-social behaviour.

“There’s lot of different ways of delivering public toilets and members will be involved in the design of that.

“There is a commitment to start delivering public toilets in our district centres.”

Walsall Council’s executive director for economy and environment Simon Neilson added the authority had received national match funding for the scheme.

He said: “Changing Place is a particular type of accessible toilet for many communities, particularly those with disabilities.

“They are very modern, different type of toilets compared with traditional brick built ones.”

Willenhall South ward councillor Carl Creaney said public conveniences were important to the vitality of the town.

He said: “We’ve been asking for quite a few years since the old one was demolished – it was used for anti-social behaviour.

“But we want a thriving town in Willenhall and want to bring in investment, we’ve got a market and we should be looking at a toilet in the town centre to support it.”