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Disused public lavatory on sale for £100,000

The 110-year-old two-storey toilets sit on the base of a cliff near a promenade with panoramic views of the sea in Sheringham, Norfolk.

The dilapidated Victorian building is to be sold after it was shut four years ago to build a new block nearby.

The old lavatories date back to about 1900 but were closed in 2006.

A report to North Norfolk District Council, which owns the block, said £75,000 was needed to refurbish it.

Even then, the location high above the promenade would need steps or a steep slope, meaning it could not meet new disabled access legislation.

 

Councillors are being recommended to seek planning permission to convert the block to a holiday home and sell it.

Comparable properties have recently sold for up to £165,000.

However, the £50,000 cost of conversion to residential effectively cut the valuation to about £100,000.

If the sale goes through in the spring, building on the new block could start in the autumn and completed by next Christmas.

The sale has been welcomed by Avril Duke-Millar of the the Sheringham Enhancement Group, which has been campaigning for improved public toilets in the town.

She said: "I am sure it will make a lovely home for somebody. It is absolutely beautiful."