Will shortage of public WCs prove a little inconvenient this Easter for holiday visitors (and for local traders)?

Trees  shrubs and lawns have been removed to make way for hard surfacing

WORD is awaited from North East Lincolnshire Council on what provision, if any, is to be made for public to access free-to-use WCs ahead of the start of the 2026 holiday season.

In previous years, there have been temporary relocatable conveniences in either Dolphin Gardens or Pier Gardens, but it may not necessarily be so this spring and summer.

If there is a shortage, there will be pressure - almost certainly unwelcome - on local cafes, pubs and even other traders to make their facilities available to allcomers.

In the meantime, tourism chiefs will be monitoring what  impact higher fuel prices might have on visitor numbers over Easter.  

Of note, too, will be the visitor response to the fact that the whole of  Pier Gardens is currently out of bounds while contractors Maylim crack on with converting  it to what NELC - somewhat unappealingly - say  will be a "multifunctional" area. 

It seems some Alexandra Road traders are very unhappy about the project - not least because it will take as long as 15 months to complete, and prior  consultation has, they say, been modest to non-existent.

In the past, their businesses have been boosted by pedestrians crossing from Central Promenade to their premises via the Gardens, but this is not possible while the works continue.

Temporary loos were in place during summer last year