News / The Downs
Plans for cafe to replace public toilets on the Downs
An old block of toilets on the Downs could be demolished and replaced with a cafe.
The public toilets at Sea Walls date back to the 1950s and have been maintained by the Downs Committee since early 2018.
But the committee wants to knock them down to make way for a new cafe with toilets the public can use.
is needed now More than ever
The plans for a steel and glass cafe on Circular Road are set to be considered by a Bristol City Council planning committee on March 13.
The Downs committee wants to knock down the existing toilet block and replace it with a cafe
The plans have been recommended for approval, but a number of objections have been lodged
Council officers have recommended the “lightweight and elegant” cafe for approval, but the application has drawn 96 objections from a total of 134 responses.
As well as public toilets, the cafe would provide an “education booth” for use by the Avon Gorge and Downs Wildlife Project. It would also have an outside decking with seating.
The cafe would have its own enclosed bin storage area and cycle parking for staff.
The whole, single-storey building would be about twice the size of the existing public toilets.
Its male, female and disabled toilets would be open to the public during the cafe’s proposed opening hours of 10am to 4pm on Sundays and 8am to 7pm every other day.
A single unisex and possibly coin-operated toilet would be available overnight, when disabled users would be able to access the disabled toilet by Radar (Royal Association for Disability Rights) key lock.
The existing toilets have separate facilities for men, women and disabled people.
Objections to the plans focused mainly on the principle of building on the open space, the appropriateness of the proposed design for the Victorian setting of Sneyd Park, the size of the building, the impact on wildlife and potential problems with litter, car parking and noise, council papers show.
Bristol North West MP Darren Jones, who commented on the application, said: “There was a general concern about this proposal being ‘the thin edge of the wedge’ in respect of further commercialisation and development on the Downs, which would not be welcomed by local residents.”
The toilet block was built in the 1950s
Arguments in support of the plans included the existing toilet building was an “eyesore”, the toilets needed updating, and it was “a good way to fund the upkeep of the public toilets”, according to a report prepared for the planning committee.
“It is the conclusion of officer’s [sic] the proposed development would represent a very rare scenario where a minor degree of development on the open space would accord with national and local planning policy and would consequently be acceptable,” the report says.
“This is due to the use of the proposed building supporting use of the wider open space for sports and recreational purposes.
“There are no material considerations which would warrant the refusal of planning permission.”
Amanda Cameron is a local democracy reporter for Bristol
Read more: Creating safe cycle routes around the Downs
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