FROME Town Council is asking for local views to help decide the future of toilets in the town centre.

Since September last year, the public toilet block at Market Yard has been closed, with the Changing Places facility kept open for those who need it and public toilets provided at the nearby Cheese and Grain.

The decision was made following Frome Town Council stepping in to prevent permanent closure of the facilities by Somerset Council.

Cllr Nick Dove said: “The toilet block at Market Yard was one of many facing permanent closure as Somerset Council looked at ways to cut costs amid growing financial difficulties.

“We made the decision last July to temporarily close the toilets as they were becoming expensive and difficult to maintain. The facilities are reaching the end of their life; they were becoming blocked or faulty even with normal use, and replacement parts were costly and hard to find.”

Cllr Dove added: “To make sure people could still access public toilets, we made an agreement with the Cheese and Grain to allow public use of their toilets as our main Town centre toilets and the maintenance of the Changing Places toilet.

“We have asked Somerset Council to provide us with a long lease for the Market Yard block, which would allow us to make changes to the building and now we need to hear from you.”

The options being considered are: refurbishment of the existing toilets; building a new purpose-built toilets facility; creating a reimagined site that incorporates new toilets along with other amenities such as a visitor information centre or kiosk.

The council could also expand on partnerships with the Cheese and Grain and other venues in the You’re Welcome scheme, allowing people to use toilets in cafes, pubs and shops with no obligation to spend money.

Also under consideration is the installation of keypad access to the Changing Places facility to help prevent misuse. Cllr Mark Dorrington said: “Since opening in 2018 following a fantastic local campaign, the Changing Places facility has allowed residents with additional needs to enjoy our town centre by providing them with a purpose-built space.

"However, there are concerns over misuse, with some people reporting that the facility was in an insanitary state when they tried to use it.

“A possible solution would be a keypad for access. It’s really important that we hear from those who use the Changing Places, to help us understand their needs and preferences.”

This would involve users needing to call a phone number to receive the access code, which would change regularly.

Residents can their say by going to the new My Frome website, with an option to do a quick two-minute activity, a five-minute survey, or a longer survey where there’s space to enter more details.

The survey can be filled in online at tinyurl.com/frome-toilets, or residents can also call 01373 465757 or pop into Frome Town Hall.

Dates for opportunities to share views face-to-face in April will be announced soon.