Travel hub hopes as work on Wick public toilet provision moves to design stage
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The return of public toilets to Wick has moved a step closer amid hopes that new and improved facilities will link into a “travel hub” in the town centre.
A team at Highland Council is looking at the options for both the Whitechapel Road and Camps toilets and this work has moved on to the design stage.
Councillor Raymond Bremner, one of the town's Highland Council members, explained: “The redesign is looking at a number of additional and improved services as well as boosting the security of the premises.”
He added that assessing the options for Whitechapel Road will involve seeing how it can complement the Wick Active Travel Plan proposals.
“These proposals see the whole area as a travel hub – the road access improvements, redesign of the bus stance area, electric vehicle charging, campervan and motorhome parking,” Councillor Bremner said.
"The additional service options that could be included in the building redesign would complement the overall aim for the area.
“It’s a slow process researching the options but it needs to be thorough. Securing the capital funding will be a challenge, but I’m hopeful that by increasing the service provision and providing for the security of investment we can see the reopening of a better and improved facility which the town centre, the local community and visitors to our town deserve.”
Councillor Bremner gave a progress report at the August meeting of the Royal Burgh of Wick Community Council last week.
He highlighted a community-led initiative in Drumnadrochit, Inverness-shire, which has seen public toilet provision being combined with a tourist information point and transport hub, and he suggested that something similar could be achieved in Wick.
In June, community council chairperson Joanna Coghill said she was running out of patience over the lack of public toilets in the town centre, insisting that local people as well as tourists needed facilities to be available.
The Whitechapel Road conveniences were closed early in 2020 after being targeted in a series of acts of vandalism.
“For the size of this town, this is no longer acceptable,” she said. "Nearby villages have public loos – the town does not.”
A Highland Council spokesperson said at the time: “The discussions are ongoing but we can confirm that there is public toilet provision in Wick at the comfort scheme within the Norseman Hotel. These are very well signposted and offer very high quality provision of facilities.”
