The Gold Coast City Council will screen off so-called open-air urinals that are being trialled in Surfers Paradise after a public backlash.

Blocks of the new urinals have been put along two popular party strips at Cavill Mall and Orchid Avenue to try to stop drunken men from urinating in shopfront windows.

Councillor Lex Bell said the loos were offensive, but it was better than having people fouling the streets.

He said drunken men had been relieving themselves in shopfront windows after leaving the party strip.

"I'm not very enthused with the design but we have decided to add additional screens around them so that they are more acceptable to the public," he said.

"That's a response to public feedback, but also we're not opening them now until midnight.

"Residents have been saying that they find it offensive to see someone toileting because you can still see the heads and legs of people.

"There's also been the problem of some ladies using them, and they're not designed for ladies."

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However, he said it was less of a problem for women as they mostly used toilets in a nightclub before they left the premises.

Councillor Bell said the urinals were initially opened last Friday at 8:30pm (AEST).

However, usage times were changed to between midnight and dawn because of complaints, and the fact that younger people were still on the streets earlier in the evening.

"That's the time we need to target (after midnight) - very few of the people who have been offended would be out and about at this time," Councillor Bell said.

"We cannot arrest such people - we don't have the power, so the thought was if we put urinals in places where the inebriated people have to stagger past, they may well use them.

"I find the urinals offensive but I find it more offensive to see people urinating in public."

He said the new screens would conceal "almost the whole person".

"It is less offensive to have urinals, than it is to have people peeing in the street," he said.

"When people are staggering from nightclubs, they won't seek out public toilets - even if they are there."