Cathedral set to have new public toilets

10:40pm Thursday 21st August 2008

Comments (3)   Have your say »

WORCESTER city centre is set for its first new public toilets in more than 50 years – despite fears about their impact on the cathedral.

Planning officers this week gave their support to proposals from the Chapter of Worcester Cathedral to build a £400,000 set of public toilets alongside the south wall.

Worcester City Council has already agreed to contribute £50,000 towards the scheme, as the toilets will be available to both cathedral visitors and the wider public.

But the application has drawn objections from local conservationists, who are concerned about the impact of two “add-on” rooms which would be built alongside.

A final decision will be made by the council’s planning committee next Thursday, but the city’s planning department is recommending approval.

Head of urban environment John Wrightson says in his report: “In my opinion, the submitted scheme is appropriate for this sensitive location. It incorporates traditional elements with a modern approach, while reflecting existing elements of the cathedral.” The oak-clad toilet block would be located alongside the cathedral’s College Hall, replacing the existing temporary toilets housed there. Its proposed ‘lean-to’ design has been praised for evoking the sort of mediaeval craft workshop which would often have been found alongside a cathedral.

However, the city’s Conservation Areas Advisory Committee is critical of plans to include adjoining boiler and flower-arranging rooms alongside the toilet block.

“This element of the scheme would benefit from a revision, as it appears to be an add-on which does not fit with the rest of the proposed block,” the committee says.

The council’s own conservation officer agrees, objecting to the proposal despite its “simple and sympathetic” architecture and saying the adjoining rooms “should be omitted”.

The chapter has been working on plans for 18 months since a previous design was rejected by the Cathedral Fabric Commission, which vets proposed changes to Britain’s cathedrals.

The chapter says the extra rooms are necessary because they make the block long enough to reach one of the cathedral’s existing exits so the toilets could be accessed from inside the building.

Mr Wrightson says that, although he preferred the previous design, the concerns raised were not sufficient for him to recommend refusal.