After years of crossed legs, visitors to Teignmouth’s Eastcliff car park can finally answer the call of nature.

Teignmouth Town Council opened the first of five new facilities planned for the town at the end of last week (February 6).

Toilets on the Den are due to open during February half term. Residents and visitors have had to use temporary facilities for the past three years after the previous block was incorporated into the former Beachcomber restaurant - now Venus.

Both pre-built units were delivered at the end of last year. The Town Council had previously indicated that the Den toilets would be open before Christmas and that the other loos would be ready in January.

The Town Council’s toilet module in the Lower Point car park has now gained retrospective planning, after the previous permission expired, and is due to open by the end of this month along with the new conveniences in the Quay car park.

The conveniences, which include environmentally friendly and efficient features such as solar panels and rainwater collection systems, cost 40 pence to visit and the income will be used to cover ongoing maintenance costs.

Refurbishment of the Brook Street facilities is scheduled to start this week. The work will include the installation of a ‘changing places’ facility designed for people with multiple or complex disabilities.

Unlike many other towns and villages within Teignbridge, the toilets in Teignmouth are run by the Town Council rather than the District Council. This means the loos are unaffected by the District Council’s plans to close or sell off toilets in Teignbridge to save money.

Teignmouth Town Council took over the running of the public toilets in Teignmouth from Teignbridge District Council in 2014.