Gorran Haven
Update: July 2026
Thank you to everyone who contributed to the consultation that took place last winter at the Christmas fair in Gorran! We received 90 responses in total from local residents and visitors across both the paper slips collected at the fair and our online form submissions. Your feedback is directly shaping how the Parish Council Working Group moves forward with upgrading these essential village facilities.
Key Consultation Findings & Council Actions
The overwhelming consensus is that the public toilets are absolutely vital for supporting local families, beach users, individuals with health conditions, and our local tourism economy.
Here is a summary of what you told us, and how the Parish Council is responding:
Prioritise the Basics: The clear majority stated that the council must focus on cleanliness, reliability, and accessibility first.
Our Action: We are currently engaging an architect to draw up modernised designs that address these core needs, including investigating improved disabled access and baby changing facilities.
Funding & Maintenance: Many respondents suggested exploring sustainable funding options, including small usage charges or external grants, to ensure the toilets are well-maintained and protected from anti-social behaviour.
Our Action: To protect the parish budget and mitigate potential vandalism, we are evaluating a contactless card entry system to help fund ongoing cleaning, water, and energy overheads. We are also actively pursuing grant funding through the National Lottery and exploring strategic partnerships to broaden our funding options.
Additional Amenities: While items like lockers, showers, and bike racks were suggested by some, other residents noted that extra capital costs are not justified unless they are entirely self-funding.
Our Action: Due to tight budget limitations, we are focusing strictly on the core toilet facilities, though we are looking into viable, low-cost eco-enhancements such as a public water fountain.
What the Community Said
(Selected anonymous comments from the consultation)
“Gorran Haven is a very busy village and a public toilet is imperative for visitors and locals alike. The current facility is an embarrassment to the village due to the smell and constant despair.”
“Many toilets in Scotland are pay-to-use; they take cards, and the money is used to maintain them.”
“I really don’t believe the capital cost of a new layout can be justified unless the rental income is enough to fund the improvements. We are not desperate for anything else…”
Project Timeline & Next Steps
The Working Group is moving quickly to progress this project over the coming months:
Summer 2026: Securing detailed architectural drawings, finalising accurate costings, and seeking conservation area design guidance.
Autumn 2026: Targeting the formal submission of our planning permission application.
How You Can Help
To help us secure matching capital required for major grants, we have established a dedicated project donation fund. If you would like to contribute to securing the future of Gorran Haven’s public facilities, please support us by following the link
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/gh-toilet-refurb