Highland Council to install toilet block from Gairloch at Achmelvich beach next week after existing unit 'condemned'
Highland Council has confirmed that it is set to move a transportable toilet block from Gairloch to Achmelvich beach next week.
The confirmation has come as a relief to members of Assynt Community Council, but the group has criticised the local authority for not keeping them in the loop over the permanent closure of the existing beach toilets and the plans to replace them.
Beautiful Achmelvich beach, situated around 4.6 miles to the north-west of Lochinver, is a popular visitor destination, attracting thousands of people a year.
However the public toilets there are in a poor state of repair and have not reopened for the season since they were closed down on October 31 last year.
A spokesman for Highland Council said yesterday: “The toilets at Achmelvich beach were closed due to their condition. The cabin is failing and the exterior plywood is rotting.
“The risks with regard to public access and health and safety meant we could not reopen this facility for the season. The cabin is in no fit state to reopen."
Highland Council said that it had now been arranged for a toilet unit from Gairloch beach to be delivered to Achmelvich.
“A contractor is booked to do the removal and delivery on Monday and Tuesday, May 9-10," said the spokesman.
Assynt Community Council discussed the issue at its meeting last Thursday when members said they were not aware what was happening as regards the toilets.
Chairman Liam Taylor said he had been complaints about the closure and had raised the issue with Highland Council amenities manager Debbie Sutton.
He said he had asked Ms Sutton why the community council had not been informed that the toilets would not reopen and what the “contingency plan” was.
Community council secretary Phil Jones said people were turning up and finding the toilets locked and going round the back to relieve themselves.
Members said at the meeting that the plan to redeploy the Gairloch unit was floated three years ago but nothing had since happened and they did not know when it would take place.
After hearing that the arrival of the Gairloch unit was imminent, Mr Jones said: "We wish to express our gratitude to the Highland Council for finally finding the means to replace the toilet block at Achmelvich, hopefully in fully functioning order in time for the tourist season.
"We would also like to thank the representatives of Gairloch Area Development Ltd who informed us last week that the 'Tardis' toilet was due to be removed imminently so HC could begin work on the foundations for their new block
" frustrating that the Highland Council officers responsible for amenities were not able to inform the local community in Assynt or our elected representatives of the situation in October 2021 when they first decided Achmelvich public toilets were to be permanently closed.
"We were not aware of the problem until two members of the public took it upon themselves to complain last month. This lack of professionalism and duty of care in failing to inform local communities of their decisions yet again sheds Highland Council in a bad light."
