Visitors to one of the world’s top 50 beach locations will find queues for toilets are reduced this summer.
Gower’s Rhosili beach, which includes the iconic Worm’s Head and welcomes more than 750,000 visitors each year, has undergone a major upgrade to its public toilet block, making it easier for visitors to spend a penny this summer.
Swansea Council has invested £35,000 into the upgrade and has also secured a grant (£132,000) though the Welsh Government ‘Brilliant Basics’ fund – a scheme designed to help improve infrastructure at tourism destinations in Wales.
The new toilet block, which is now managed by the National Trust, has had a significant makeover, doubling the number of ladies cubicle, adding two new 24hr unisex cubicles along with an additional accessible toilet.
The £160,000 redevelopment also includes the installation of energy saving LED lighting and a special water bottle filling station.
Cyril Anderson, Cabinet Member for Community at Swansea Council said, “Rhosili is regularly named as one of the best beach locations in the world. Because of this, we see thousands of visitors each year.
“Along with the National Trust, we want to ensure visitors to Rhosili have a great experience and can enjoy the wonderful views on offer. This means insuring basic facilities such as toilets are of high quality and can also cope with the demand, particularly in high season.
“I’m delighted with the end result of this particular upgrade and I’m confident all visitors will all appreciate the efforts made to improve what we have on site.”
The latest upgrade also forms part of the Council’s wider Public Toilet Strategy, which was agreed in 2020 and has seen huge improvements to toilet facilities all around Swansea.
More than £300,000 has previously been spent upgrading the 30 public toilet blocks in Swansea.
Recently, the Council installed two brand new ‘Changing Places’ units at Knab Rock and at Rhosili. The new facilities were also funded through the ‘Brilliant Basics’ fund and offer provision for people with complex disability needs, such as hoists, adjustable benches and specialised washing equipment.
The introduction of the additional ‘Changing Places’ facilities also means Swansea’s beaches are some of the most accessible in the UK with Caswell Bay also featuring specialised accessible toilets.
Cllr Anderson added: “The public’s need to use toilets in the city is a basic and essential need. We recognise this and have developed a strategic approach to ensuring all our toilets have been upgraded and improved.”
A list and an interactive map of more than 30 public toilets located around Swansea can be found here: www.swansea.gov.uk/article/9068/Public-toilets
