Toilets in danger of falling into the sea

Public toilets are to close because they are in danger of falling into the sea, East Riding of Yorkshire Council has said.

The facilities at a car park in Mappleton, near Hornsea, have been declared unsafe because they are too close to a crumbling clifftop.

The building will be fenced off on Wednesday, when three temporary toilets will be installed nearby.

Councillor Barbara Jefferson, the cabinet member for heritage and coastal, said a permanent solution was being sought and the council was "committed to providing public amenities".

The toilets had been earmarked for demolition in September, but will now be pulled down later this month.

“Unfortunately erosion has affected the structural integrity of the toilet building so we need to close it now, much earlier than we expected to," Ms Jefferson added.

Holderness has one of the fastest-eroding coastlines in Europe and last year the council secured £15m in funding to tackle the effects.

Dog-walker Andrew Dell, a regular visitor, hoped the toilets would be replaced in the long term as it was one of the few beaches in the area with public facilities.

He also called for an extension to the car park, which has been reduced in size by erosion over the years.

"You can't fight nature, can you?" he said. "Parking's a nightmare, especially at weekends and during the school holidays."

The council said it was exploring options "for more sustainable and future-proof facilities" for Mappleton, as part of a project called Changing Coasts East Riding, which is managed by the Environment Agency.

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