Plea to Wick residents over £395,000 refurbishment of town centre toilets

Wick residents are being told they will have to play their part in taking care of the refurbished public conveniences in the town centre.

Work is progressing well on the £395,000 scheme at Whitechapel Road, although a completion date has yet to be announced.

Highland Council leader Raymond Bremner says the new-look facility looks "just fantastic".

The local authority announced at the end of March that a contract had been awarded to Norbloc Construction to carry out the full refurbishment of the toilets. They have been closed since early 2020 after being targeted in a series of acts of vandalism.

As well as new fittings, upgraded services and the new roof covering, the revamped block will include showering, baby-changing and locker facilities.

Councillor Bremner, who represents Wick and East Caithness, gave an update to members of the Royal Burgh of Wick Community Council at their November meeting on Monday night.

“You would not recognise that building," he said. "The foundations have been sorted, everything has been dealt with, the whole interior has been gutted out, the fittings are all in.

"There are some works to be completed yet, but you can definitely see what a facility we're going to get.

“The roof has been replaced and you can see that it's totally different. The service corridor between the two toilet areas is brand spanking new. It's just fantastic.

“Steel doors are awaited. The disabled area is probably one of the areas that still has a fair amount of work to be done to it.”

Councillor Bremner also pointed out that the contractors have cleared the “poor landscaping” at the front of the building.

He went on: “They haven't told me what the final date will be. I am very reluctant to see it open until everything is in place, and I would hope that you would all agree with that.

“It's first class. Okay, it's not gold taps, contrary to popular belief, but it's smart and I really hope that the community who wanted it realise that the community is going to have to play its part in taking care of it, because a lot of time and effort has gone into it."

“I think we're very fortunate because what we're getting in Wick is not going to be similar in other areas unless they come together as we did. We had a vision, found the funding and stayed the course."

He added: "Tourists will be absolutely delighted."

In answer to questions from community councillors, Councillor Bremner said there will not be a full-time attendant and the toilets won't be open 24 hours a day.

External CCTV surveillance will be installed to help with security.

“You won't be able to go there and not be seen on CCTV," Councillor Bremner explained.

"If a cleaner goes in at, say, five o'clock and then somebody goes in at seven o'clock and they find there's damage between those two times, you have a two-hour period that they will then go back and look at.

"The signage will be right outside the door. You will not be able to walk in that building and not know that you're being recorded.

"If you've got nothing to hide and nothing to be frightened of, then you'll be fine."

Councillor Bremner also gave an update on the proposed town centre improvements being developed from ideas drawn up by Sustrans Scotland.

As part of the regeneration efforts, a public event looking at suggestions on revamping some of the lanes connected to High Street will take place on Wednesday. Two Caithness artists, Hannah Cambridge and Aimee Lockwood, will host interactive workshops as part of the event at Caithness House between 3pm and 7pm.

Councillor Bremner described the Wick Lanes Pocket Places project as "another investment in the town" and went on: "Commercially we need to see what we can do with the town, but that rests on the shoulders of an awful lot more people than us sitting round the table.

"If we can make the town more attractive then surely that would help us attract business and make it a place to meet, greet and eat, and a far more socially inviting area to want to be."

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