PROVISION of public toilets across Poole, Bournemouth and Christchurch will be fully assessed, BCP Council has promised.

Speaking at Monday’s meeting of its cabinet, environment portfolio holder, councillor Felicity Rice, said a “full review” of facilities would be carried out.

Her comments followed a call by a member of the public for more toilets to be provided in Bournemouth.

Mrs Riggs said that, particularly given the importance of tourism to the town, more council-maintained facilities needed to be provided.

“There’s a distinct lack of public toilets in the Bournemouth area, particularly considering it’s a tourist area,” she said.

“Toilets in shops and restaurants are not sufficient and visitors to the town who do not know the area so well will have to look for them.

“This is causing residents and tourists discomfort.”

Shortly after the council’s ruling coalition was formed in June, it announced it would spend half a million pounds on reopening and refurbishing public toilets in Poole.

It said the work was part of efforts to harmonise services across the three towns.

But Cllr Rice has now promised a conurbation-wide review of provision will be carried out.

Responding to Mrs Riggs, she said: “We will be doing a full toilet review and will be taking into account your thoughts.

“Facilities in the Lower Gardens are complemented by sites at car parks and the many shops and restaurants that have facilities for its customers.

“Seafront services manage 24 sites across the Bournemouth and Poole seafront and the number of public toilets available has increased in recent years.”

Last week Conservative councillors called for the council to look at digging up facilities at the Lansdowne roundabout which were covered in concrete and earth a number of years ago.

They said the viability of the facility should be looked at as part of major ongoing plans to renovate the area.

But cabinet member for children, councillor Sandra Moore said the block was not fully accessible and that if public toilets were to be provided in the area they would need to be purpose-built.

Earlier this year W&S Recycling bought the block outside the Co-op in Blandford Road, Poole with the intention of reopening it for the public five years after it was closed.