Palmeira Parade Arches – toilet opening and closing times
Published Tuesday 10th August 10 in Council - news and information releases news
Southend-on-Sea Borough Council has pledged to work with café owners in the Palmeira Parade Arches to reach an agreement over the opening and closing hours of the nearby toilets.
The Arches cafes have always been fully aware that they can only trade when the toilets, which have traditionally been locked at dusk during the summer months, are open.
However, several café owners have recently called for the toilets to remain open longer into the evening to enable them to trade later.
Councillor Tony Cox, Executive Councillor for Public Protection, said the toilets would continue to close at dusk for the remainder of the summer season.
But he assured the traders that the Council would attempt to reach a compromise over what time the toilets would be locked in the future.
Cllr Cox said: "I recognise these are difficult times for businesses in the town and it certainly isn't our intention to force anybody out of business.
"The Palmeira Parade Arches cafes are very popular with residents and visitors alike and are part of the fabric of the sea front.
"The existing arrangements for toilet provision will remain for the summer season but we are prepared to work with the traders with a view to extending their opening hours in future.
"Keeping the toilets open longer will cost extra money. However, we hope to be able to work on a sensible compromise with the café owners to enable us to keep them open later than dusk in the future."