A wall-mounted hydration point has been installed at the St Annes Promenade Monument public conveniences as the first in a series of six new facilities for the public to refill water bottles free of charge.
Originally proposed as part of the Council’s plastic-conscious approach to reduce the prevalence of single-use bottles and the corresponding disposal or littering across Fylde, these plans were put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Following the removal of coronavirus restrictions, the Council’s Environmental Health and Housing Committee voted to proceed with the pilot scheme with a view to extend and expand the project, subject to its success.
Three more wall-mounted hydration points will be the next installed, one each at the Ashton Pavilion conveniences, the Lowther Garden conveniences, and the Market Square conveniences in Kirkham. Two free-standing units have also been ordered and one each will be installed at Fairhaven Lake near the RSPB centre and at Lytham Green near to the Bath St car park. These locations were chosen both for their popularity with visitors and for the presence of pre-existing water supplies.
Councillor Thomas Threlfall, Chair of the Environmental, Health and Housing Committee, said: “The installation of these hydration points follows recommendation from our Carbon Neutral Working group, aiming to help protect our environment by reducing reliance on single-use plastic bottles, and is one they and I both unanimously support. By providing these facilities for people to refill bottles, Fylde Council can help keep our beach and seafront free of litter and help reduce the total carbon footprint, making it a win both for Fylde and the wider world.”
The total expenditure of £13,500, covering the purchase of the units directly from the supplier and their installation by Danfo, was approved from the existing approved 2021/22 capital programme budget.
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