Locals are afraid their seaside village could become a ‘third world country’ (Image: Google)
A beautiful village near tourist haven Newquay has an unpleasant problem – with locals terrified that public toilet closures will see a resurgence in visitors defecating on its pristine sandbanks.
Cornwall Council has reportedly pulled funding from toilets in Porthcothan Bay amid claims that the parish council can’t afford to maintain them.
It has left villagers afraid that people will start using the sandy stretch as a public lavatory – something that left them sick to their stomachs when it began happening during the pandemic.
The toilets, which are located near the beach car park, were open between April and October and run by members of the parish council, with a 20p door fee helping to cover cleaning and maintenance costs.
However, Mary Neale, parish councillor for St Eval, said Cornwall Council has now withdrawn the funding that previously covered the bulk of the upkeep, leaving the smaller authority no choice but to close the village’s only public toilet facility.
She told “The prospect for 2025 is a crowded beach with no public toilets. People will be defecating in the dunes, the caves and the sea.”
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Porthcothan Bay is a pretty spot not far from Newquay (Image: Getty)
Villagers noticed a trend towards people using the sandbanks and seafront as a toilet during lockdowns, reportedly leaving the beach covered in toilet paper and attracting rats.
Stephen Rushworth, who represents the area at county council level, compared the lack of facilities to “a Third World Country”.
He said: “I’m sure people will start [defecating on the seafront] again.
“Where are the lifeguards going to go if they need to use the toilet?”
Residents also expressed concern about the council’s decision to impose 24/7 parking costs in the seaside car park and transfer ownership to its business arm Corserv and a private enforcement company.
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A spokesperson for Cornwall Council told CornwallLive that the move was part of a programme to “transfer the ownership or management of more than 200 public toilets across Cornwall to city, parish and town councils” in a drive towards devolution.
They added: “We have provided grants to a few communities to support them during this transfer including an annual grant of £10,000 to help St Eval parish council take on management of public toilets at Porthcothan Bay.
“We will be speaking to town and parish councils affected by the proposals so we can support them in plans to safeguard the future of assets important to their communities.”