Public toilets at Hickling handed over to Norfolk Wildlife Trust

Date published: 20th December 2024

North Norfolk District Council is pleased to announce that the public toilets at Hickling have officially been handed over to the Norfolk Wildlife Trust.

The conveniences were identified as one to consider transferring to other organisations, as part of the Council’s cost-control exercise carried out earlier this year.

The Council reached out to Norfolk Wildlife Trust, who have recently taken over the Pleasure Boat Inn public house adjacent to the toilet building, and it was agreed that the lease would be surrendered to the Trust to ensure the facilities remain open to visitors while also generating cost savings to the Council.

Tim Adams, Leader of North Norfolk District Council, commented: “North Norfolk District Council, in common with most other local authorities, is having to find savings due to the costs of core services having risen significantly. 

Our own budget pressures are largely associated with the costs of homelessness, with typically over 60 households in temporary accommodation, which often includes more than 70 children on any one night. 

The cost of this is having a significant impact on our ability to continue various discretionary services, including providing as many public toilets as we do now.

This is therefore a good outcome for visitors to Hickling Staithe.

Norfolk Wildlife Trust are to continue to operate the public toilet facilities to support their work in welcoming visitors to the Hickling Broad, and in caring for the important landscape and wildlife present there.”

Rachel Savage, NWT Director of Development and Partnerships, added: "In addition to taking care of this unique and vital landscape for wildlife, we aim to create facilities that will provide new opportunities for everyone to experience Hickling's fantastic wildlife including walking routes and a growing programme of boat trips from Hickling staithe.

We are pleased to be taking on the management of the toilets as part of this vision and are committed to developing the service in the future, including improving access."