Ilkley Civic Society objects to proposed public toilet plans
Ilkley Civic Society has recommended that Bradford Council refuses the planning application by Ilkley Town Council for the proposed replacement of the public toilets in Ilkley's central car park.
The Society accepts that the existing building needs replacing due to its poor condition and appearance. However, it believes the proposed design is a missed opportunity to improve an important public space in the town centre.
In summer 2024, Ilkley Town Council [ITC] held a public consultation on the future of the toilets. ITC says the majority of respondents supported refurbishment, and the Town Council subsequently agreed to progress the project. A consultation was started in October 2026 to ask residents how the funding needed for the project should be raised.
Having studied the plans, Ilkley Civic Society have raised a number of concerns, saying the design offers little privacy, with toilet doors opening directly onto a busy public walkway. It also lacks a sheltered entrance and fails to properly integrate the Changing Places facility.
It comments that it is just like 'replacing a flat roofed box with a pitched roof box' and believes the application has failed to properly consider the Ilkley conservation area appraisal.
The Society also says 'information is either missing or in error for waste & recycling, trees and hedges, gross floor area and ventilation'.
Concluding its objection ICS says: "The proposals do not improve the preservation and enhancement of the conservation area and we feel this are a missed opportunity. The proposed building does not have a welcoming appearance to draw people to it and the town centre more the appearance of a cell block. On the basis of the information provided Ilkley Civic Society recommended refusal of this application."
The Society has also raised concerns about the proposed cost of almost £250,000 and whether the town council should be undertaking such a significant capital project, particularly when the building is on a 50-year lease from Bradford Council.
Further details of the Society's comments can be found at civicsociety.ilkley.org.
