The multi-million pound redevelopment of Scarborough's Brunswick Centre currently includes no provision for publicly accessible toilets, prompting concerns from local councillors.
Public toilets will be missing from Scarborough's town centre under current plans for the multi-million pound redevelopment of the Brunswick Centre.
The shopping complex, along with its public conveniences, closed to visitors in September 2025. An ambitious new redevelopment scheme aims to transform the vacant site into a multiplex cinema, retail, and leisure destination.
However, official reports confirm that publicly accessible toilets are not included in the baseline budget for the project.
North Yorkshire Council documents state that while the current scheme incorporates toilet facilities within individual occupiers' premises for use by their customers, it does not replace the level of publicly accessible provision previously available.
The report acknowledges there may be an opportunity to work with developers to introduce additional public toilet facilities, but warns this would require further assessment and funding. The financial figures presented for the redevelopment do not include the costs of providing or operating these conveniences.
Scarborough councillor Rich Maw expressed his concerns over the omission.
Councillor Maw said:
"The report admits the proposed scheme will not replace the public toilets that we have lost and the cost of providing and running new facilities isn't included in these figures.
What are we going to do about that and who will pay?
One of the conditions of the centre being built in the first place was actually for a provision of public conveniences. I would suspect that planning permission may prove difficult to pass here in Scarborough if we don't have them."
The proposed funding package for the Brunswick Centre relies on £10.5 million in non-recoverable grants from the Pride in Place Programme and the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, alongside an £8 million loan from North Yorkshire Council. All three public bodies will also provide £1m each to cover the initial phase of the project delivery.
The building is privately owned by Scarborough Group International (SGI), who previously obtained planning consent for redevelopment in March 2023. Because that consent has now lapsed, a fresh planning application will be required.
North Yorkshire Council deputy leader, Councillor Mark Crane, confirmed that officials are still considering options for the town.
Councillor Crane said:
"We are looking at toilet provision in Scarborough and one of the places that we're thinking of the toilets is in the Brunswick Centre.
At the moment no decision has been made, but if there is not a more suitable location, then we would look to put them in the Brunswick Centre. Clearly that would only be with the agreement of SGI, who own the building.
It will need planning permission. There was a similar planning permission obtained before by SGI, and given that this would not be completely different but would require a new planning permission. We have to be clear about that. That's part of the reason for the 1 million pounds. But as I say, it wouldn't be million miles different to the permission that had already been gained."
The redevelopment is expected to deliver significant economic benefits to the Yorkshire Coast, with estimates suggesting the new cinema and retail units could attract around 850,000 visits annually.
Despite the projected increase in footfall, it remains unclear who will cover the initial capital investment and ongoing maintenance costs if public toilets are eventually added to the scheme.
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