VIEWS of locals are being sought amid plans to improve public toilets along Weymouth seafront.

Weymouth and Portland Borough Council is proposing to upgrade existing facilities – and may even charge people to use some of them.

Councillors agreed last year to allocate £400,000 from financial reserves to improve public toilet facilities along Weymouth seafront.

This includes building a new block in the King's Statue area to replace the ageing and damaged underground loos.

But the council says due to the nature of its toilets, the £400k allocated won’t be enough to completely revitalise all of the facilities.

That is why it is running a survey to establish what people think. Views must be given by April 30.

The brief survey asks questions including what should be the priority for upgrade work, if people would be prepared to pay to use a clean, well-cared-for facility and for how much.

Cllr Kate Wheller, the council's spokesman for community facilities, said: “We want to have facilities that our residents are proud of, and our visitors are happy to use.

"We have a challenge to modernise these facilities on a tight budget, so we want to hear from you and understand what your priorities are.”

Feasibility and condition studies have been carried out.

These looked at the current quality of the toilets on offer – from Overcombe to the King's Statue, and also the temporary block outside the Pavilion. This temporary block will remain in place through this year's holiday season, it has been confirmed.

The council wants to compliment its own studies with feedback from residents in order to understand what is most important to people.

When put all together, officers will have a clear understanding of how to best spend the money on improvements.

It is envisaged the upgraded facilities will be in place by next year's holiday season.

Moves to upgrade the loos came after improvements were called for in a report on local facilities by the British Toilet Association (BTA).

It suggests charging for toilets along the seafront – this is common in other resorts with charges ranging from 20p to £1.

Funds could be ploughed back into facilities, helping to pay for cleaning and maintenance.

Complete the survey at www.snapsurveys.com/wh/s.asp?k=151689512165