A blitz on public toilets across north Norfolk is set to bring facilities up to the highest possible standards.Over the coming two financial years North Norfolk District Council is proposing to spend hundreds of thousands of pounds on major upgrades at toilets across the district.

A blitz on public toilets across north Norfolk is set to bring facilities up to the highest possible standards.

Over the coming two financial years North Norfolk District Council is proposing to spend hundreds of thousands of pounds on major upgrades at toilets across the district.

The cash injection will leave the popular holiday area with top class facilities where both tourists and locals will be able to spend a penny in comfort.

Peter Moore, portfolio holder for resources at NNDC, said the council was now focused on bringing all public conveniences up to a high standard and then keeping them that way.

He said: “We will never get there unless we have a big push on this.

“It is no good waiting until bits on money come in. Let's go in and do the job properly.”

Mr Moore said that undertaking a major refurbishment programme, rather than doing the work piecemeal, had its own benefits in that it meant the council could make economy of scale cost savings.

“This is a huge push to bring them up to scratch and then we intend to keep them up to scratch,” he continued.

“They will be kept in a high state of maintenance in the coming years.”

Work will be prioritised according to usage, whether other facilities exist in the area and the availability of funding.

In the financial year up to April 2009 the council is proposing to add an extra £60,000 from its reserves to its pre-existing toilet maintenance budget. This will mean the council will spend £200,000 on 11 toilet blocks in the district.

New toilets are set to open at Cromer's new information centre later this month and improvement work to the Albert Street toilets in Holt and the second phase on work on the Beach Road toilets in Sea Palling is due to begin in the autumn.

Preliminary designs for a major upgrade or a possible rebuild of the facilities on The Promenade in Mundesley are also expected in the autumn.

Work at Blakeney, Hoveton, Ludham, North Walsham, Overstrand, Sheringham and Walsingham will also take place.

For the following year the council is proposing work at a further 21 sites but Mr Moore said that before this could be costed plans would have to be drawn up in consultation with parish councils and local people.