Hemsby toilet closure leads to urination on lifeboat station

Great Yarmouth Borough Council closed the public loos at Hemsby beach in 2016.

They had then been taken on by local businesses, but that arrangement has ended.

But now during the busy summer months, there has been a knock-on effect from the closed toilets, with people said to be urinating up the back of Hemsby Lifeboat Station and on the streets.

Daniel Hurd, Hemsby Coxwain. (Image: Brittany Woodman) Daniel Hurd, from the lifeboat station, said: "It is disgusting, and smelly, as well as health and hygiene concerns, we think it will get so gross that it will stop people from visiting here.

"The council should be in charge of the public toilets and ultimately do more to help trade thrive down here, it's a disgrace they expect us to manage the loos, where on earth does our council tax actually go?

"The community here depends on tourism thriving, and the beach has been absolutely packed this summer, but if this continues it could deter visitors."

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The lifeboat is hosting a fundraising event this weekend and they have been told they will have to arrange for portable toilets to be provided at a cost.

People have been urinating against the Hemsby Lifeboat Station with the public toilets closed (Image: Sonya Duncan)

Mr Hurd said: "We have been told that to open the toilets we have to pay out of our own pocket which seems absolutely absurd as our money is for saving lives and protecting the community.

"It seems so unfair they expect us to pay for a solution to the toilets being closed, but considering it is the mess they created by closing them, I don't know why they aren't paying.

"The knock-on effect could be so great and detrimental here and to think they have abandoned responsibility makes us so angry.

"The beach has been rammed with visitors, which is amazing, but the council don't even pay for it to be cleaned either anymore, that falls on volunteers."

Previously there were issues of people vandalising the toilets and teenagers smoking cannabis in the loos.

The closed public toilets in Hemsby (Image: Rupert Lowe)

Great Yarmouth Borough Council says that local businesses can get in contact with it to discuss opening the toilets under their own management.

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A spokesman said: ‘’Great Yarmouth Borough Council closed the beach toilets in 2016 following a review of services.

"Since then, the public conveniences have been operated by local businesses.

‘’This arrangement has since stopped, but if anyone wishes to open and operate these toilets as previously then they can contact us to make the necessary arrangements.

‘’Any organisation running a local event must make their own assessment of the need and provision for toilets.”

A packed Hemsby beach taken by James Bass (Image: James Bass)

The Reform MP for Great Yarmouth, Rupert Lowe, has been emailing the borough council urging them to take action and reopen the facility under its own management.

He says that he still has not had a reply from the borough council.

In a statement shared on Facebook, Mr Lowe said: "I've been informed by the Hemsby lifeboat crew that a number of people have been urinating on the station.

"Absolutely outrageous behaviour, but we must get the public toilets open ASAP.

"I have emailed the council leadership again, asking for urgent action.

"It's an incredibly important time of the year for Hemsby businesses, and not having any available public toilets is having a number of unwanted consequences."

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Last summer the toilets were open and managed by local businesses.

Mr Hurd added: "For the council to expect businesses, during their busy season, to have the money and time to run the public toilets is so ignorant.

"We are all fighting to help the community and when we are really busy in the summer months, the council should do more to support us."