NEW “pay to pee” machines have been fitted at a tourist attraction which has free to use public toilets. Conwy County Council has been accused of confusing tourists and locals by installing the machines at Criag y Don’s paddling pool toilets when punters don’t have to pay to spend a penny there.
The county council announced in the autumn it planned to shut 19 of its 40 public toilets as part of cost-cutting measures but Llandudno Town Council agreed to fund the facility so it remained free.
The cash-strapped council installed the machines county-wide as part of a plan to generate income by charging the public to use some public facilities.
But Llandudno Town Council says they had already agreed to fund the paddling pool toilets until March – with further plans to look at financing them in future years. Now the town council are having to pay for signs to explain the toilets are free – as the machines, which aren’t needed, are causing confusion.
Cllr Louise Emery sits on both Conwy County Council and Llandudno Town Council. She said: “Llandudno Town Council has agreed an annual sponsorship, which means the toilets at the paddling pool remain free.
“But the county council have gone ahead and put the charging machines on the walls of the toilets, just in case that sponsorship doesn’t happen next year, or we decide we want to charge for them.
“But fundamentally our town council wants to provide free toilets for residents and visitors, and that is why we are a bit disappointed that having those machines attached to the walls gives the impression that you have to pay. So we will be putting up signage to make it clear you don’t have to pay to go to the toilet at the paddling pool.”
She added: “I wouldn’t say it is the most sensible idea to put machines on the outside building next to a sea salt environment when you don’t actually need to use them, but they are there and are supposedly ready to go, but as the chair of finance on the town council, I can assure residents you won’t have to pay to use those toilets.
“Beyond that we will be looking at the finances across the whole town council to see if we can continue sponsorship at that level.”
A spokeswoman for Conwy County Council said: “We prefer to keep public toilets available wherever possible and have looked at many options to retain public toilets in Conwy county, including sponsorship and pay to use,” she said.
“The toilets by the Craig y Don paddling pool are currently free to use. The town council has provided sponsorship this year, but we don’t know if this arrangement will continue, and we may need alternative ways to recover the running costs in the future.”
The council did not reveal how much it cost to install the machines.
