Conveniently located building in Newlyn could be turned into a residential property

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

A stone building with a harbour view in mainland Britain’s most southerly town that could be turned into a bijou home has gone up for auction with a guide price of £15,000.

What may put off some buyers is the fact that the property overlooking Newlyn harbour in Cornwall was until recently a public toilet.

The building – 7.5 metres (25ft) long and 4 metres wide - is being sold by Cornwall council, which has been closing public toilets over the past few years, blaming government cuts.

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The auctioneers Clive Emson described the sale as a “fantastic opportunity to acquire these former public conveniences located in a great position just a few paces or so away from Newlyn’s picturesque working harbour, where one can enjoy fantastic views over Newlyn and Mounts Bay”.

“The property offers potential for residential or commercial use incorporating perhaps upward extension or total replacement, subject to all necessary consents being obtainable,” they said.

The description of the building’s particulars is more succinct: “Male and female facilities, each with store room.”

Katie Semmens, a senior auction valuer, said: “We never get tired of saying this – there is no chain to worry about, particularly if you’re flush with cash.

“We anticipate keen interest, especially as the property is just a few paces from Newlyn’s fishing harbour, where, weather permitting, there are great views over Newlyn and Mounts Bay.”

Many locals are not pleased at losing the conveniences. But there is still a public toilet run by Newlyn Pier and Harbour Commissioners, and Penzance town council has worked with a local pub, the Red Lion, to make toilets available for members of the public.

Cornwall council said a cut in central government funding had forced it to review non-statutory services such as public toilets. It has been working with other local authorities to transfer ownership and, in some cases, charges have been introduced to keep facilities open.

Raymond Boyd Martin of the British Toilet Association said the decrease in the number of public toilets was extremely worrying.

“People will vote with their feet and we are being repeatedly told how the closure of local amenities, particularly toilets, is having a severe effect on the length of time that visitors will stay in one area,” he said.

“Street urination and even defecation increases and the council is forced to increase its street cleaning efforts and costs.

“The additional cost in time and manpower far outweighs that of the cost of keeping a small public toilet block open, and the loss of respect for a council that cares more about profit than about its residents’ health, or the welcoming of visitors and their purchasing power.”

The toilet is one of 155 lots being sold on 13 September.