Proposals to shut the Central Car Park toilets and the underground loos in Market Place are in the council’s 2025-26 budget and medium-term plan, which was approved after around three hours of debate at a full Salisbury City Council meeting on Monday night.
The initial plans had sparked criticism from Charter Market traders and the public, leading to the administration tabling several changes after ‘listening to concerns’.
The changes will see market traders, who often arrive in the early hours to set up their pitches, given a key or code to continue to access to the underground Market Place loos, while the newer, above-ground toilet for disabled people will be ‘open to all’.
More signage would be installed to help the public find other toilets, and hospitality businesses will be consulted on a ‘voluntary scheme’ that would see them offer their facilities for public use with the aim of increasing their footfall from 2025-26.
The budget was debated by full council on Monday night (Image: Newsquest) The closures will save the council around £100,000 a year, with the amendment reducing that figure from £110,000, as budget documents previously said.
Seven council-owned toilets would remain open, including at Lush House and the coach park.
Councillor Charles McGrath (Conservative, Milford) said it would be a “crying shame” to see the Central Car Park toilets close.
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The toilet block was painted with five murals in spring 2024 by local artist Krishna Malla as part of the Environment Agency’s River Park Project.
“It seems a shame that there seems to be absolutely no foresight whatsoever when it comes to proposals such as these,” said cllr McGrath.
“We have the coach park toilets, which we can be very thankful to have open now the River Park scheme is almost complete, but the car park toilets are the first facilities most visitors will see when they come to Salisbury.
“It is essential to keep them open, given the work they have had to them and because they are so convenient.”
The coach park and Lush House car park toilets will stay open (Image: Newsquest) Cllr Chris Taylor (Conservative, St Paul’s), who was “hobbling around on crutches for six months last year”, said the additional distance to reach the coach park loos would be like heading “to the other side of the moon” for some disabled people.
Speaking about parents, he added: “As a grandfather with a three-month-old grandson, I understand the urgency at which some nappies need to be changed.”
His Conservative colleague Jeremy Nettle said he could support the administration’s proposals “for the time being” but wants to see a “bigger plan” for conveniences.
“I would like to see a continental-type, self-cleaning unisex loo,” he said.
“I think it would be far better and more pleasing to the eye than what we’ve got outside currently. I don’t see any plans in this budget for that.
“It seems crazy to have a car park, especially having our disability shop [Shopmobility] there, and then say to people who park there that you can’t spend a penny.”
The recently repainted Central Car Park toilet block (Image: Newsquest) Cllr Victoria Charleston (Lib Dem, St Paul’s) introduced the administration’s budget, describing it as “prudent, responsible and sensible”.
“There is no denying that this administration has weathered some difficult financial times since the 2021 election,” she said.
“Last week, this budget was criticised for being ‘business as usual’. I’d like to remind councillors what ‘business as usual’ has achieved.
“Over the last week, we have listened to concerns from residents, particularly around the Market Place toilets.
“These are closing because we believe they are unsafe, which I will not apologise for.”
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The budget will see the city council’s precept rise to £5.9 million.
This will see Band D households’ contributions to the city’s share of the council tax bill rise by 4.99 per cent – an extra £18.15 a year.
Cllr Charleston said: “This is all about compromise. That has really shown in the level of debate tonight.
“This budget contributes to the work of this administration of which I am proud and asks for an extra 35p a week to do so.”