THE reopening of the new public toilet block in Wellington has been delayed after more than 80 defects were found.
The facility on Longforth Road was installed on July 26 this year and was initially due to be "ready for use" two months before that. This was delayed, with an opening then planned for Tuesday, August 11.
However, Wellington Town Council says it will not accept handover of the building until all outstanding defects have been resolved - meaning another delayed opening is deemed necessary.
According to the town council, more than 80 issues were identified immediately after installation, including concerns relating to accessibility, fire prevention measures, ventilation, the canopy and final cleaning of the site.
The contractor responsible for building and installing the unit, Danfo, has since addressed many of the problems, but several "remain unresolved", according to Wellington Town Council.
As a result, the council has confirmed the facility will not be ready in time for Wellington Carnival, with portable toilets instead being provided for visitors attending the event.
A spokesperson for Wellington Town Council said: "Danfo was appointed on the basis of cost and its experience of successfully delivering similar projects across the country.
"We are extremely disappointed that the facility cannot open as planned.
"We have applied the contractual provisions available to us to prevent the delay from increasing the overall project cost, intend to recover the cost of hiring the portable toilets from Danfo, and are taking legal advice on potential further action."
The build has been overseen by BVLR, which will complete the remaining work before the toilet block undergoes a further inspection.
Subject to a satisfactory inspection, the council hopes to open the new facility by October 2, 2026.
Wellington Town Council had planned to take out a loan from the Public Works Loans Board to cover the £238,000 cost of the works at Longforth Road, 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.
A crash at the public toilet site caused a partial demolition of the toilet block, 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 town council said it has ultimately cost more money.
The authority has apologised to residents and visitors for the delay and any inconvenience caused while work continues to bring the project to completion.
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