Gordon’s Bay Beachfront Ablution Block Closed

Gordon’s Bay beachfront ablution block closed for renovation — temporary facilities installed March 2026, still there, now considered semi-permanent

Gordon’s Bay

The ablution block serving the main Gordon’s Bay beachfront was closed in early 2023 for what the municipality described in a notice affixed to the door as “essential renovation works expected to take approximately eight to twelve weeks,” a timeline that has since elapsed several times over without the renovation being completed, the temporary facilities being removed or anyone in an official capacity updating the notice on the door, which remains in place and is now sun-bleached to the point of partial illegibility.

The temporary facilities, a row of portable units delivered on a flatbed truck in March 2023 and positioned on the eastern end of the parking area, were described at the time as a short-term measure. They have since been repainted in the municipality’s corporate colours, had a solar panel attached to the roof of the largest unit by a contractor whose appointment was not publicly advertised, acquired a permanent-looking concrete path leading to their entrance and appeared on Google Maps under the listing “Gordon’s Bay Beach Toilets,” where they have accumulated 47 reviews and an average rating of 2.1 stars. One reviewer described them as “not great but honestly what did you expect.” Another gave them five stars and said they were “convenient to the parking.”

The original ablution block remains closed. A padlock installed in 2023 has been joined by a second padlock and a length of chain. Through the frosted window, a tap is occasionally audible.

The municipality confirmed the renovation project remains “in progress” and that a revised completion timeline would be communicated “in due course.” When asked whether the temporary facilities would be removed upon completion, a spokesperson said this would be “assessed at the appropriate time.”

The units currently have more Google reviews than the municipality’s main service delivery page.