New Eco Loos are on the horizon for the South of England Centre's Showground in West Sussex, as the last of the old toilet blocks is set to be replaced with environmentally friendly facilities.
"It's out with the old, and in with the green, now that plans for the new structure have been given the go ahead from the local council", says John Lytton who has been tasked with ensuring that all future development on the Ardingly site is as ecologically sound as possible. A planning application has been approved to remove the old 28-seater WC block and replace it with a set of clean, modern toilets with sustainability to the fore.
The proposed new structure will have the overall appearance of a large pod or a bean, and is the creation of local architects, Ecotecture. "The idea", adds John, "is to mimic organic shapes that occur in nature".
Work is scheduled to start on site in October, and the Agricultural Society is now seeking local contractors with an interest in tendering. They will need to have an empathy with green issues and show a willingness to embrace the principals behind the new building.
The 'Green Bog' as it has been referred to in some quarters will incorporate as many innovative features to make it not only visually striking but sustainable in terms of embedded energy, reusable resources and a low carbon footprint.
"We also hope it will prove far more efficient in terms of use by our visitors, providing additional disabled WC space, baby changing facilities and showers", adds John Lytton.
He heads the Society's Green Agenda Working Party which set the original criteria for upgrading this much-needed facility. It reports to the Society's Management Committee and has been involved with the discussions with architects and the planners Ecotecture who are based in mid Sussex.