Toilets in the town centre
Frome Town Council are exploring toilet provision in the town centre. Over 500 people shared their thoughts by chatting to us in person and taking part online. There were a lot of different views but the bottom line is simple: you want central, reliable and accessible toilet facilities at Market Yard.
We've listened to your views and preferences, and Frome town councillors discussed next steps on Wednesday 22nd April. You can view the reports using the buttons on the right. Anyone was welcome to come along to the council meeting at Frome Town Hall or online via Zoom. It is now available to watch on Youtube.
We asked people to rank their preferences between four options. There was a tight margin between the top two results:
🥇 Creating a reimagined site incorporating new toilets
🥈 Refurbishing the existing Market Yard toilets
The popularity of reimagining the site and the reasons people shared for liking the option match what we know: with a basic refurbishment, the problems we’ve encountered so far would mostly remain the same. We need a solution that works for the long-term.
⏩ These were the next steps agreed at the meeting:
➡️ Press Somerset Council to provide us a 25-year lease for the toilet block on fair terms. We can’t make any major improvements until this is agreed
➡️ Create a Frome Riverside Advisory Group to take forward the project to provide new toilet accommodation within the existing Market Yard toilet block, including the reimagination of the other parts of that block and adjoining apron
➡️ Develop a costed design for the development and invite tenders, to ensure good value for money
➕ Recognising how important it is to get the project underway as soon as possible, an amendment was agreed to provide a verbal update at the next council meeting to share any progress in getting the needed 25-year lease from Somerset Council
With regards to the Changing Places, we have decided not to pursue installing a keypad for the time being. The measure was suggested as a way to address an increase in misuse of the facility.
There was an equal split of people who supported or opposed installing a keypad. However, the reasons for opposition made it clear that for some people, adding a keypad would have a negative impact on their ability to use the facility and confidence in visiting the town centre. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their experiences.
Read the reports:
Watch the council meeting:
Next steps were agreed at the 22nd April Council meeting, which was livestreamed on Youtube and is available to watch at any time.
Updates will come to future Council meetings, which anyone can attend to share their ideas and views. We want everyone to feel welcome at council meetings. You can read more about what to expect and accessibility here:
