Museum plan for loos goes down the pan
Building doesn’t fit needs of John Hastie Trust
The latest plans for the former loos at the heart of the Strathaven town centre have been flushed away — after steps to make it into a community museum were halted.
The John Hastie Museum Trust had been on the lookout for a new base for a museum in the town and had been in talks with South Lanarkshire Council (SLC) regarding a deal for the toilets near the Allison Green.
However, the size of the venue did not fit what the Trust were looking for — with both parties now looking at other options.
The new museum would have acted as a replacement for the John Hastie Museum, which was closed in 2011.
A spokesman for the Trust said: “The Strathaven John Hastie Museum Trust, after full consideration, acknowledges the initial response offered by SLC, but has informed SLC that it has no interest in developing and using the premises as a home for its target development, our new community museum.”
The town’s public toilets were put up for sale last year — with a group failing in an attempt to raise thousands of pounds to stop them going down the pan.
Residents had noted how the lack of facilities could put people off attending the town’s major events including Gala Day, the Balloon Festival, and the Reindeer Day.
Portaloos were brought in for some of these major events. South Lanarkshire Council’s executive director of housing and technical resources, Daniel Lowe, noted that they were discussing the toilets with a number of buyers.
He said: “South Lanarkshire Council has had a number of expressions of interest in the former toilets from community based organisations, however there are no firm proposals at present.
“Any interested parties should contact the council’s property services department, who are located within council headquarters, Almada Street, Hamilton.”