Vandalism at public toilets on New Milton’s recreation ground cost New Forest District Council over £2k in a year

ENHANCED security is being considered amid ongoing vandalism plaguing a New Milton toilet block, which cost over £2,000 in a year.

The town council’s amenities committee heard attendees at the VE80 event on Sunday 4th May complained about the state of the New Forest District Council facilities on the recreation ground, off Old Milton Road.

New Milton Residents’ Association representative Julia Stamper told a recent meeting: “A couple of the cubicles were closed due to vandalism, and a couple of the others were very dirty.

“A polite way of describing them is that they were quite unhygienic.”

Responding to Mrs Stamper’s concerns, amenities chairman Cllr Geoffrey Blunden said there was a significant issue with public toilets in the area.

“They’re really suffering from vandalism, which knocks out the toilets,” he explained.

“I take on board the comments about general cleanliness. I understand it was all in place to ensure they were looked after for the event, but if that fell short, it will need looking into.”

Approached by the A&T, NFDC told how it had dealt with seven incidents of criminal damage at the recreation ground toilets in the 2024/25 financial year. This cost a total £2,329.

“We understand the frustration the condition of the toilets may have caused for residents and visitors during the VE Day celebrations,” spokesperson said.

They pointed out NFDC’s workers maintain, check and clean its 23 blocks throughout the year, highlighting close collaboration with town and parish councils to ensure they are appropriate and ready for events.

But the spokesperson continued: “Unfortunately we do experience ongoing challenges with misuse and occasional acts of vandalism, which can significantly affect cleanliness.

“We are currently exploring additional measures to deter vandalism and reduce misuse, particularly during busy periods.

“This includes installing CCTV outside of our public facilities, which will help towards deterring acts of damage and, where identified, working with our policing colleagues to prosecute.”

Residents and visitors were urged to use the public toilets responsibly and report any issues to NFDC’s customer services team.