Highland public toilet investment plans set to come under spotlight of key council committee
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Highland Council’s visitor management plan will see £115,000 invested in hand dryers as part of a wave of improvements at public toilets across the region in a bid to better handle mass tourism.
The plan is a response to the staycation boom triggered by Covid that led to major issues with certain tourists and will see £3 million spent in a wide variety of facilities across the region.
The investment has been seen a success in easing some of the worst issues like dirty camping through countryside rangers while it is hoped that levelling-up funding can come to the rescue to deal with some of the many road issues.
Now, councillors have been told that £410,000 allocated to supporting public toilets, comfort schemes and bin collections at tourist hotspots will be invested in its entirety this financial year.
Of that £190,000 will go towards improving the current infrastructure (£160,000) and expanding the comfort scheme £30,000 – grants ranging from £50-£300 per month as a contribution towards the running costs of toilets.
Funding has been awarded for improvements including buying hand dryers at 35 sites (£115,000), shower upgrades at Aviemore and Ullapool (£10,000) while the latter will also get new plumbing (£20,000).
The public convenience at Glenmore will be demolished and a new modular unit will be installed in a joint project with Cairngorm National Park Association with £60,000 coming from each.
Last year 14 sites signed up for the comfort scheme which is seen as “a cost effective and low risk solution to providing this essential service” for the public at large with 15 seasonal providers signing up.
Among them are: Sea View Hotel, John O'Groats; RSPB Forsinard Flows; Main Street, Lybster; Helmsdale Community Centre, Invercassley Tearooms, Lairg and Chocolates of Glenshiel and the Loch Ness Hub, Drumnadrochit.
The remaining £220,000 for increased bin capacity and collections at key visitor sites should help keep places like Applecross tidier as bins quickly fill with rubbish from tourists, provoking the ire of locals.
A full report authored by Caroline Campbell, Head of Community Operations and Logistics Alan McKinnie, Strategic Lead, Waste Strategy and Operations will be brought to the council’s communities and place committee on Wednesday.
They stated: “The success of the Highland Council visitor management strategy for the Waste Management service is dependent on having the adequate resources to fit the seasonal pressures brought on by the influx of visitors to Highland.
“In 2021 to 2022, the service resourced for eight Visitor Management Operatives (VMO) who were employed on a fixed contract basis, (May to October). The service also provided additional bins, bin stands and bin stickers.
“Eight additional hired vehicles were provided for the VMO’s work. The action plan included the VMO’s performing litter picking, fly-tipping removal and emptying litter bins (including swapping full with empty bins).
“The VMOs worked in tandem with the refuse collection staff to coordinate emptying litter bins. In the 2022 to 2023 season, the service has applied the same successful working plan with an additional Visitor Management Operative for the Black Isle.”
