WORK to renovate and modernise the toilet block in Ilkley's Riverside Park will begin this autumn if plans are approved.

Ilkley Town Council has submitted a planning application to Bradford Council for the work at the block in Bridge Lane. It includes provision for people with disabilities and young families.

Ilkley Town Council took over responsibility for the toilets in 2019 when Bradford Council was going to close them. The riverside block was in a poor state of repair after years of neglect. In June the town council agreed to sign a contract worth £112,708 with the company Healthmatic to go ahead with the conversion of the Riverside toilets into four self-contained cubicles.

In a heritage statement submitted as part of the application Ilkley Town Council says: "The building is a single storey stone building, built as public toilets in circa 1955 and still in use for that purpose. It sits in the corner of Riverside Gardens on BMDC-owned parkland adjacent to the Riverside Hotel within the Roman Core of the Conservation Area. The application will provide a high-quality remodelling of the interior to create modern, accessible, energy and water-efficient public conveniences.

"The external modifications will facilitate disabled access (resulting in a minimally enlarged building footprint due to ramping to the front of the building) and will provide a smart modern exterior finish. The principal structural components of the building will remain unchanged, and the overall impact of the changes will be to enhance the appearance of the building and surrounds.

"A copy of the front elevation was provided with the planning application submission. This shows that the windows are being removed from the front of the building, with the rear windows being retained. The doors will be metal, and the ramps will be of a traditional construction with PVC coated handrails. The PVC coating for the handrails is to ensure that the rails are DDA compliant.

"The materials from the front of the building will be reused in the redeveloped structure. The traditional materials will be retained.

"The town council is not aware of any listed buildings near the proposed re-development. The proposed re-development will improve and enhance the area which adjoins the Riverside Gardens Park. The Riverside Gardens Park has views and vistas to the river and the space is one of the is one of the key green spaces within Ilkley parish."

In a statement to the Ilkley Gazette Ilkley Town Council said: "Ilkley Town Council has now embarked on the complete refurbishment and modernisation of the toilets in Riverside Gardens, which will include increased provision for young families and people with disabilities. A contractor, Healthmatic Ltd, has been engaged and detailed plans drawn up and submitted to ensure the necessary planning permission for ramp access to the refurbished building. In addition, it is necessary to secure final legal confirmation of the asset transfer from Bradford MDC and create a safe access route to the site for the contractors. This will minimise disruption for park users, local residents and businesses. The Town Council hopes these preparations will enable work to begin this autumn and will continue to keep local people informed."

Ilkley Town Mayor Cllr Mark Stidworthy added: “We appreciate that some residents are concerned by the slow rate of progress, others by the financial cost and others about potential disruption in the park. Town Councillors are mindful of these concerns but confident that the toilet refurbishments will provide smart, high quality accessible toilets and will enhance the local area for residents and visitors alike for the next two decades. I would like to thank the Town Clerk and working group for their ongoing work to ensure that the work proceeds as soon as appropriate."