Shaldon residents are being asked if they’d be willing to pay extra council tax to keep the village’s public loos open.

The two toilet blocks, on The Strand and at The Ness, will no longer be managed by Teignbridge District Council from April 2027.

The parish council has the option to take over one or both of them – but at a price.

Running both toilet blocks costs around £53,000 a year, and the council would also have to take out a loan over 10 years to pay for essential refurbishments.

To fund this, the parish could increase the amount of council tax paid by Shaldon residents, or charge 40p per visit to the toilets.

Residents have been invited to give their views on the loos by this Friday, October 2, in an email or letter to the parish clerk.

A decision will be made at a special meeting of the parish council in October, on a date to be confirmed.

There are plenty of arguments for keeping the toilets open. Between them, the two blocks are used around 100,000 times a year, with huge demand during big summer events such as the Water Carnival and Regatta. Closing them would deter some people from visiting Shaldon, meaning less income for businesses. Others would use the loos in pubs or cafes, and some would relieve themselves in the street.

In addition to the £53,000 annual operating cost of the two toilet blocks, the estimated cost of necessary refurbishments – recommended in a February 2026 structural survey - is £125,000.

If Shaldon’s council taxpayers foot the bill, this would add £56 to the current Band D parish precept of £64, taking the total to £120.

If the council decides to keep the toilet blocks open and charge 40p per visit, it will still have to foot the bill for refurbishments plus the cost of installing the payment machines, and the ongoing card charges. The income from the toilets will help subsidise the cost to the council, so there’d be less of a burden on council taxpayers. But ‘pay per pee’ charges always result in fewer visits and less income, although they also reduce anti-social behaviour in the toilets.

There’s also an option for residents to buy an annual access card for the loos rather than paying 40p per visit - but this incurs its own set-up costs and admin.

More details of the financial pros and cons of all the options, including a separate breakdown bills for each of the two toilet blocks, can be seen on Shaldon Parish Council’s website.

Residents are invited to give their views on:

Should the parish council should take on the management of the public toilets?

If so, should it keep the loos at The Strand open, or those at The Ness, or both?

How should running the toilets be financed – from council tax only, or through an admission charge?

People can give their feedback in an email to [email protected], or in a letter dropped off at Bradleys in Fore Street, addressed to the Parish Clerk, by this Friday, October 2.