Cleaning up Bishop Market Place

It is hoped that portable urinals placed in the Market Place, Bishop Auckland will make the town a cleaner and more enjoyable place to visit.

Each Friday and Saturday night the units will be placed in the town centre, before being emptied and cleaned the following morning. It is hoped that revellers visiting the town’s pubs and bars will use the urinals and help keep the area cleaner.

The project is being supported by the Bishop Auckland and Shildon Area Action Partnership (AAP) and funded via councillors Neil Harrison and Sam Zair who donated £3,250 with a further £3,250 funding coming from Tackling Knife Crime Action Place.

Michelle Armstrong, chair of the AAP board, said: “We hope that by encouraging visitors who come to the town to enjoy a drink on a Friday and Saturday evening, to use the portable urinals we will cut down on the amount of effort that is put into cleaning the area on a Saturday and Sunday morning.

“People queue for taxis in the area so it’s convenient to use the urinals rather than having to go back inside one of the many pubs and bars to use the facilities.”

The project has also been supported by The Bishop Auckland Town Centre Licensing Association (BATCLA), the town centre manager, local retailers and Bishop Auckland Local Multi-Agency Partnership.