A petition calling for temporary toilets to remain on the Den in Teignmouth until permanent facilities are built has been handed to Teignbridge District Councillors and Newton Abbot MP Martin Wrigley.

After launching her petition just two weeks ago, local resident and parkrun volunteer Alison Ford gathered 1,743 signatures for her petition to extend the planning permit for the stopgap toilets on at the Den until the completion of the new facilities.

Alison handed the petition to district councillors Pete Williams and Joan Atkins along with Martin Wrigley MP at the Teignmouth Promenade parkrun on Saturday morning (March 8).

Alison, who is a regular Teignmouth Promenade parkrun volunteer, said the toilets on the Den are essential for those that visit the promenade, particularly the elderly or those who bring their young children to play in the nearby park. Moreover, the weekly parkrun attracts around 400 runners every Saturday, along with more than 30 volunteers and lots of spectators, many of whom come from outside the town, and who need to use the toilets before taking part in the event.

‘There was so much support for the petition,’ Alison said.’ It was like pushing against an open door. It shows how important this issue is in the town.’ After handing over the petition, Alison said she is hopeful that there will be some ‘positive action to move this situation forward’ adding, ‘time will tell’.

Although there are alternative toilets at either end of the beach – in the Point car park or at the Jubilee shelter near the yacht club – these are too far away for those gathering near the pier, particularly for parkrun, Alison points out.

‘Removing the Den toilets without a ready replacement will significantly disadvantage locals and tourists alike,’ the petition stated. ‘Anecdotal evidence suggests the lack of available toilet facilities could be a deterrent for parkrun tourists and visitors to the town, leading to a decrease in visitor numbers,’ Alison warned.

Portakabin toilets were installed on the Den in October 2022 to bridge the gap between the loss of the old facilities, when the former Beachcomber was renovated, and the construction of new toilets by Teignmouth Town Council on the site of the former aquarium near the pier.

The temporary planning permission, which Teignbridge District Council extended for an additional 12 months last spring, expires on March 31.

Last month, a Teignbridge District Council spokesperson confirmed that the local authority ‘does not currently intend to extend its temporary planning consent’ for the site.

Teignmouth Town Council plans to build a brand-new toilet block on the site of the former aquarium. Demolition work at the site took place last June.

Teignmouth Town Council has now confirmed that the groundworks team is scheduled to return to the site to remove the old concrete staircase next week (March17). This work, which is expected to take two to three weeks, will ensure the site is prepared for the main contractor and other preliminary works, a town council spokesperson said.

‘Teignmouth Town Council appreciates the community's understanding and cooperation as we work towards improving our facilities and further updates will be provided as the project progresses,’ the spokesperson added.