New contractor hired to replace public toilets in Wellington

The public conveniences on Longforth Road, near the Texaco Petrol Station, have a planned reopening date, with Wellington Town Council expecting the facilities to be "ready for use" by the end of May 2026.

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Originally, Wellington Town Council had planned to take out a loan from the Public Works Loans Board to cover the £238,000 cost, but will now pay for it with a combination of unspent council money, insurance received from the council's own insurer of the building, and the insurance claim against the car driver who crashed into it in 2022 - forcing the council to close the block for nearly four years.

The crash caused a partial demolition of the toilets, bringing down masonry and leaving large cracks along its frontage, forcing the council to demolish the building. It was expected that the collision would accelerate the replacement of the toilet block, but instead it delayed the process and the council said it has ultimately cost more money.

The public toilets on Longforth Road in Wellington have been closed since a car crashed into the block in December 2022. (Image: Google)

Following delays to the work, the council has now appointed BVLR Projects of Exeter as the principal contractor for the replacement of the Longforth Road toilet block. The decision follows a "competitive tender process" and a "detailed report" from project management provider Ravenslade. The modular building will be supplied by Danfo.

BVLR’s proposal was selected at the town council meeting on January 5 for its "strong balance of cost-efficiency and quality".

The new facility will be more compact than the previous structure and will feature one accessible cubicle, two unisex cubicles, a storage area, and a rear service section.

Wellington mayor and town councillor, Janet Lloyd, said, “Although the process has taken longer than we had anticipated, the council is pleased to have reached this key milestone.

"Work will now progress to finalise the detail with the aim of having the new facility in place and ready for use by the end of May 2026.”