A former public toilets block in Forres has a new owner after being closed for seven years.
In 2018, Moray Council shut the Leys Road block as part of budget cuts.
The public loos were closed two years after a woman was locked in the building overnight after suffering a stroke.
Now it the public toilets in Forres have been sold.
Last year, the local authority were looking for offers over £45,000 for the building.
In their sales pitch, council officials suggested the building could be converted into a hot food takeaway or retail unit.
The building is only yards away from Forres High Street and is next to a busy car park.
It is in a high-footfall area of the town behind the Co-op supermarket and near Grant Park.
However, buyers were warned any food use of the Forres building could be dependent on the opening hours and the type of meals being served.
But it is possible to make the move from loos to food.
One good example is takeaway Pino Pizza next to Elgin bus station. It operates from what was once the public toilets in the town centre.
Future of the former loos
However, it turns out the Forres loo block isn’t destined to serve pizzas, sandwiches or hot drinks.
In fact, the new owners are planning to reopen the toilets – as toilets.
Moray Council has revealed the Forres public toilets were sold last month.
According to the Scottish Assessors, the building is now owned by charity Ray’s Opportunities.
The charity was set up by Ray McDonald to support people with physical, hidden and learning disabilities.
Now the charity aim to reopen the toilets which they believe would benefit the wellbeing of the local community and enhance tourism activities within the town centre.
Communities taking over public toilets shut by council
In recent years, public toilets have fallen victim to Moray Council’s budget saving measures.
Some toilets have been taken over by community groups.
Loos across the region including at Station Park in Lossiemouth, Cullen’s West Beach and the beach in Findhorn are run by volunteers.
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