East Sussex residents shocked after town's public toilets left in 'disgusting condition'

Lewes District Council say toilets are often badly damaged or left in an unacceptable condition because of anti-social behaviour.

This has lead to a number of residents sending complaints to Lewes MP Maria Caulfield, claiming that many public toilets are in a disgusting condition or are completely closed.

Maria Caulfield MP said “I am being contacted by many residents across the Lewes constituency to complaint about the availability and disgusting state of public toilets in the area. Many of these complaints are from Seaford, and people are concerned about how this looks to tourists visiting the town. Many tourists will not return to the town if they are unable to find an open and clean public to use.

“I have written to the Green leader of the council calling on her to make sure that public toilets across the district are open to the public and are in a clean and useable condition for people. It simply isn’t good enough that these basic facilities are not kept to a decent standard and improvements need to be made.”

Lewes District Council told SussexWorld it undertook a daily full clean of every public toilet that the council manages and those owned by Seaford Town Council in Seaford at Martello, The Salts and in South Street.

In August 2022, the council completed an £80,000 renovation of the Western Road toilets and is close to completing work on a new changing places toilet in Friars Walk.

Seaford Town Council is planning a refurbishment of the Martello toilets, with work expected to start at the end of this year.

A spokesperson for the district council said: “The maintenance and improvement of public toilets is a priority for the council.

"Unfortunately, public toilets are often badly damaged or left in an unacceptable condition because of anti-social behaviour. This happens all over the UK and the toilets in Lewes district are no exception.

"Looking ahead, we have put £100,000 in our budget to support further work on public toilets over the coming months.

“To report anti-social behaviour please call 101.”