LOCALS in Ballineen will welcome confirmation that the public consultation process for the construction of the village’s new public toilets will be advertised at the end of this month.

The village has had no public conveniences for the past four years since the old toilets, which were built in the 1970s, were demolished by Cork County Council in 2021.

Local groups like Beda have campaigned over the last number of years to get the public toilets reinstated, and had even started a petition to get new toilets installed, which were located next to the Bus Éireann bus stop.

Other locals said that removing them from a very busy village was an ‘absolute disgrace’ pointing out that businesses locally have had people passing through on buses and in cars requesting to use their toilet facilities.

There had been plans to refurbish the outdated toilets but council officials decided that a new build would be more practical.

Councillors were informed at a meeting last year that a consultant’s archaeological assessment had been finalised and that officials then made a few adjustments to the design.

The proposed development will consist of the construction of new public toilet facilities, with a unisex public toilet and a disabled access public toilet with a storeroom.

The new toilets will be constructed within the footprint of the previously demolished public toilets, and there will be a provision of a new paved area and a small landscaped area to the east of the public toilet facilities.

A spokesperson for Cork County Council confirmed that the Part 8 process for the proposed public toilets at Derrigra, Ballineen will be advertised on October 28th.

‘From that date, the full details, plans and particulars of the proposed development will be available for public inspection online and at the Cork County Council Municipal District Offices at the Swimming Pool Complex in Dunmanway.’

The documentation related to the project will be available for inspection from Tuesday October 28th to Tuesday November 25th.