A crowd funding page has been set up in a bid to keep the temporary toilets at the start of the Keswick to Threlkeld Railway Trail.
Keswick Town Council is behind the initiative as it believes that the toilets are an “extremely important” amenity for the tens of thousands of people who use the trail.
“It’s not ideal, and we know that a number of people won’t want to contribute, but we feel that the toilets are extremely important to keep there, and anything that helps will be gratefully received,” said council clerk Vivien Little.
The town council has also written to all the holiday letting companies in the town, pointing out that the trail has been extremely helpful to the town’s visitor economy, and asking for any contribution they are willing to give.
“Again, we don’t expect to see much, but even a couple of hundred pounds means an extra week of them being there,” said Ms Little.
Following the very successful reopening of the Keswick to Threlkeld trail in December 2020, it has been heavily used, with more than 250,000 visitors to the trail in the first year. Residents and visitors have benefited from the accessible route through this historical part of the countryside.
But it has been difficult to find a permanent solution to providing toilets at the start of the trail and The Keswick Reminder reported last month that donors were being sought as funding was drying up. The facilities were also vandalised during the Easter weekend.
With the swimming pool having been closed after Covid, and uncertainty over the future of the station platform, there is a need to have toilet provision in place. The Lake District National Park Authority helped provide temporary toilets for the last two summers, but cannot fully fund it moving forward.
The town council, along with donations of £500 apiece from the Horse and Farrier in Threlkeld and the Threlkeld Cafe, have been paying for the toilets jointly with Allerdale Borough Council. But it has recently been confirmed that Allerdale Borough Council and the new Cumberland Council will not be able to fund the toilets as they had previously through Covid response funds.
It costs £8,320 to hire and clean the toilets during the year and this figure does not include the extra cleans needed during bank holiday weekends.
The town council wants to keep the temporary toilets in place until a permanent solution can be found.
“The Lake District is one of the most beautiful parts of the country, and we want everyone to leave it as they found it,” said Ms Little. “Therefore, we are leading the way in helping to find funds to keep the temporary toilets in place.
“The town council has put money in, as have other agencies, but we have a shortfall of around £4,000 for 2023 which we need to fund to make sure they are kept in place.
“We are hoping that by fundraising this way, visitors will be able to contribute towards the cost of the toilets.
“All the monies raised from this appeal will go towards supporting the costs of the toilets. Any monies over this will be used to help support future years until a permanent solution is found in conjunction with the land owner, the new Cumberland Council.”
To make a donation, visit: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-fund-portaloos-at-the-start-of-the-k2t-trail
