A PETITION demanding better placed public toilets for Weymouth Beach has taken off.

As reported in the Echo, Weymouth and Portland Borough Council is under pressure to reconsider the provision of toilets for locals and tourists.

After it controversially closed and sold off the central Bond Street toilets, the council arranged a replacems for Weymouth see dozens flock to sign new petitionent in the form of a block of temporary loos. But these are to be positioned outside the Pavilion at the end of the seafront.

This has angered some who believe they should be better placed for the nationally-acclaimed beach, and the town centre.

Now a petition has been started on change.org which has attracted more than 130 signatures in a couple of days.

The petition, posted by Cllr Tia Roos on behalf of Cllr Kate Wheller, says: “We the undersigned believe that adequate public convenience provision is required between the King’s Statue and the Pavilion. We call upon Weymouth and Portland Borough Council to identify and install such a facility before the start of the summer season 2017. The lack of such a facility will have a serious impact on the tourist economy, will be detrimental to the health and wellbeing of both residents and tourists and will damage the reputation of the borough as a premier family friendly resort.”

The temporary toilets are hoped to be in place in front of the Pavilion in the next couple of weeks before Easter. But the petition will be presented to the council in the hope of persuading a rethink.

Borough and county councillor Kate Wheller, whose concerns were highlighted in an Echo article last week, said: “I have had a lot of feedback since the story was published and people are very anxious for me to pursue this. There’s a very strong need for something to be done about this and I would urge people to sign the petition if they share our concerns.”

Cllr Wheller wants to gather a ‘significant amount’ of signatures before presenting the petition to the council. It could be handed over as early as March 30 when there is a full council meeting.

*Borough councillors have been told the Pavilion is the most appropriate site for the temporary toilets and there is ‘nowhere practical along the Esplanade’.