Sheep Market toilets closed due to asbestos as council announces spruce up of other facilities

Spalding’s Sheep Market toilets are set to be closed for the foreseeable future due to asbestos as a district-wide clean of the district’s other facilities was announced.

Councillors are looking into a “new situation” for the facilities while also looking at options for the toilets in Holbeach and Ayscoughfee Gardens.

Councillor Rodney Grocock, portfolio holder for planning and assets, said: “The Sheep Market toilets have got asbestos and we have to sort it out.

“There’s going to be a meeting later this week to decide what we do.

“We want to keep a toilet facility there but what started out looking to be a refurbishment will now be a new situation.”

Coun Grocock said plans for the also currently closed Ayscoughfee Gardens toilets were further on too.

It comes as South Holland District Council announced cleaning and refurbishment which has started in Long Sutton.

Three to four weeks of cleaning work on Winfrey Avenue’s toilets will start on January 31 to be followed later in February with similar refurbishment work in Donington.

It will include restructure work to open the lades toilets there and last “four to six weeks” the council say.

A district council spokesman said further details on works for the Sheep Market, Ayscoughfee Gardens and Holbeach “will be shared in the coming weeks”.

“South Holland District Council has this month got underway with a programme of work to repair and refurbish some of its most used public toilet facilities across the district, as part of its ongoing ambition to improve its town centres and high streets,” the statement said. “Residents and businesses across the district have regularly fed back that access to clean and working public toilet facilities is an important factor for those considering visiting our town centres and markets, with the council prioritising the work as part of their continued improvement plans to help encourage shoppers back following the pandemic.

“The work is being partially funded through the council’s town centre improvement fund, as well as Welcome Back Funding through the European Regional Development Fund.”

One toilet not mentioned at all in the proposed cleaning was Vine Street which councillors proposed to be closed in 2019.

Coun Grocock admitted he didn’t know what was happening with it but said it definitely wasn’t among the “first phase plans”.

He said of the plans: “The condition of our public toilets in South Holland has been a big point of discussion for several years now, and I am delighted that we are now in a position to take these positive, pro-active steps to improve and refresh these facilities for shoppers and visitors.

“We want the experience of visiting our towns to be enjoyable, attractive and convenient, and we know that completing this work is a key part of that ambition.

“Collectively we need to take responsibility to keep our towns and facilities clean and safe, for the benefit of everyone who uses them.”