TunedIn! toilets remain closed to the public

I had a message sent to me recently regarding the lack of toilet facilities on the seafront. This comes up every once in a while but with TunedIn! shut to public because of Covid-19 it is a more pressing issue.

“Hi Carl,  Hope your keeping well,  I wanted to keep you informed of the issues with no public toilets at Majuba end of the beach. TunedIn! currently isn’t open to members of the public. Last Friday when we had that lovely hot weather and the beach was packed I saw so many people urinating up against walls on the beach and grassed areas nearby!!  Is there any way you can push for toilets as the nearest toilets are near the RNLI station?”

I wrote to the Head of Visitor Destination, because facilities are crucial to the visitor destination strategy. I’m thinking long term solution here and there is clearly a deficiency which is well known.

“For my part, I agree we need more facilities here.  As part of the Coatham redevelopment/Town Deal we will be looking to address this, but that won’t be for a while yet.”

I’m aware the department does not control access to TunedIn! but needed to make the point and ensure that future funding covers this necessity. TunedIn! is under the Children and Families Directorate and this was my next route although I was already aware the facilities were out of bounds. Copied in is the Assistant Director for Safeguarding & Children in Our Care who is also aware of the problem. In reply, it is revealed that this would be discussed at an Executive Management Team meeting and was also raised by TunedIn! staff as a problem. The issue was passed to the Early Help Manager of TunedIn! to deal with who clearly couldn’t help if the asst director was unable to.

I’ve copied in the MD and asked,

“Currently Redcar seafront has one public toilet open at the RNLI station. Redcar and the country are no longer in shutdown but our facilities remain closed. Particularly at Majuba this is a problem with visitors urinating in areas and up against the back wall of TunedIn!. I have witnessed this myself with parents having nowhere for their children to go either. I have tried to find a solution to this but one is not forthcoming. If you follow this thread you will see the problem.

“Is it possible to provide the public with the dignity of toilet facilities in the Majuba area next to TunedIn! that are controlled and secured on an evening?”

I will update.