Overcombe Corner facilities reopen after refurbishment work is completed

The toilet facilities at Overcombe Corner reopened over the weekend.

Work on the block started in January, and the improvements include refurbishing the disabled toilets and installing a better ventilation system within the block. The new urinals and toilets are fed from the mains meaning more efficient use of water. Sensor flushes, and sensor taps have also been put in. LED lighting has been installed which has made the facilities a lot lighter as well as being more energy efficient.  

In addition, a water refill station has been installed outside the block at Overcombe. 

Now complete, a charge of 50p has been introduced to use the new toilets in line with the refurbed Cove Street facilities. An electronic payment system has been installed, and visitors can now use a bank card or smartphone to make the payment. Anyone using a radar key will still have access to the disabled toilet. 

To find the location of public toilets Weymouth Town Council is responsible for maintaining, visit the website.  

Overcombe Toilet Refurbishment FAQs

Q. When will the toilets close and for how long?
A. The toilets will be closed on Monday 5th January 2026 and it is anticipated the
work will finish at the end of March. Starting the work in January out of the main
season will keep disruption to a minimum while the necessary improvements are
carried out.

Q. Why are the toilets closed?
A. The whole toilet block is undergoing a full refurbishment as the facilities needed to
be modernised.

Q. How much will it cost to refurbish the toilet block?
A. £138,000

Q. Couldn’t you have got the cost down?
A) The cost to refurbish the toilet block followed our procurement processes and best
value was achieved for the work.

Q. What Improvements will we see once the work is finished?
A. Improvements include refurbishing the disabled toilets and installing a better
ventilation system within the block. The new urinals and toilets that will be installed
will be fed from the mains meaning more efficient use of water. Sensor flushes, and
sensor taps will also be put in. LED lighting will also be installed which will make the
facilities a lot lighter than the current block, as well as being more energy efficient.
In addition, a water refill station will also be installed outside the block at Overcombe.

Q. Why is a 50p charge being introduced to use the facilities?
A. To assist with the ongoing maintenance and cleaning costs involved in keeping
the towns public toilets clean and in good working order for members of the public to
use. This is in line with the charge introduced at Cove Street toilets following a full
refurbishment.

Q. Isn’t this what I pay my Council Tax for?
A. The ten public toilet blocks across Weymouth cost around £325,000 to operate,
which is around £16 per household, per year on public toilets. The costs of water and
staff costs are rising faster than inflation, so that figure will grow in future; hence the
need to introduce a charge.

Q. How do I pay to use the toilets?
A. An electronic payment system will be installed, and visitors will then be able to
use a bank card or smartphone to make the payment.

Q. Will there be a cash option?
A. No, there will only be contactless payments which can be made using a
smartphone or a card. This keeps the costs down as we would need staff to regularly
empty the cash collection machine.

Q. Will the disabled toilets still be free?
A. Yes, they will continue to be free to use for anyone with a Radar key.

Q. Who decided the toilets needed to be refurbished?
A. Members of Weymouth Town Council’s Environment and Services Committee took a
decision on 29th October to refurbish the Overcombe toilet block.

Q. Why is the block being refurbished and not rebuilt?
A. The building is structurally sound, and we do not want or need to change the
layout.

Q. Are other toilet facilities free to use?
A. Yes, except for the public toilets at the Swannery car park and Cove Street, which
incur a 50p charge to use.

Q. I have further questions about the toilet refurbishment, who do I contact?
A. Contact Weymouth Town Council by email: office@weymouthtowncouncil.gov.uk
or call us on 01305 239839

If you would be interested in supplying a quote for any future works, please contact
procurement@weymouthtowncouncil.gov.uk

ENDS  

Notes to Editors 

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