Scarborough residents ‘sick of not having any public toilets’, says MP
Scarborough residents are “sick of not having any public toilets” and they should be guaranteed as part of the multimillion-pound Brunswick Centre redevelopment, the town’s MP has said.
The provision of public toilets must be secured as part of the wider Brunswick Centre redevelopment, councillors and MP Alison Hume have said.
The major redevelopment moved a step forward after Mayor David Skaith approved a further cash investment as part of an £18.5 million public funding package on Friday, November 6.
The lack of town centre toilets has been a significant concern since the Brunswick Centre closed to the public in 2025.
Speaking at Friday’s meeting, Cllr Rich Maw asked: “Why have the essential public facilities not yet been secured as part of the development receiving such significant public investment?”
A recent council report stated that while individual businesses within the development, including a cinema and restaurants, would provide toilets for their customers, the scheme “does not replace the level of publicly accessible provision previously available through the Brunswick Centre” and is therefore “unlikely to meet wider town centre demand”.
Alison Hume, MP for Scarborough and Whitby, said: “People are absolutely sick of not having any public toilets in the town.”
Ms Hume said she hoped that in a year’s time the council would be “signing off on the development of Square One so that we get a cinema and retail and food outlets there and public toilets”.
“I’m also pushing for a Changing Places toilet so that people with loved ones who’ve got disabilities can come into the town and enjoy everything about it – that’s something that we have really got to deliver.”
Asked if public toilets aren’t included in the scheme, whether the project deserved public funding, Ms Hume said: “I think public toilets will be included in the scheme and I’ll carry on pressing for them.”
Scarborough Group International’s (SGI) proposed development includes a six-screen cinema, family-focused indoor leisure attraction, food-and-drink outlets, and two major retail units.
Speaking in Scarborough on Friday, the elected Mayor of York and North Yorkshire welcomed the “major landmark in shaping the future of Scarborough”.
He said that while the issue of public toilets was a matter for North Yorkshire Council, he added that he understood the importance of adequate provision of facilities.
“I know how important public toilets are to the town’s sense of experience, and we’re keen to see that, given the significant public investment from us, the council and the Pride in Place board, we are maximising the benefit to the public, such as through the provision of public toilets.”