£40k grants help create better toilet facilities in Crickhowell and Berriew
20 May 2025
A total of £18,000 was awarded to Crickhowell Town Council to help revamp facilities at the Crickhowell Resource and Information Centre (CriC), while £22,500 was awarded to Berriew Community Council towards improving 50-year-old toilets in the centre of the village.
Crickhowell Town Council used its funding - along with a Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Sustainable Development Fund grant - to install new water-saving toilets, waterless urinals, 8kWp PV solar panels, and low energy light fittings.
Berriew Community Council used its funding - along with a National Lottery Awards for All grant - to create two modern public toilet compartments, accessible to all, including those in wheelchairs and families needing baby change facilities.
The funding secured by the county council's Economy and Climate Service - covering 80% of project costs - came from the Welsh Government's Brilliant Basics scheme.
"It's great that visitors to Crickhowell and Berriew now have access to better toilet facilities," said Councillor James Gibson-Watt, Powys County Council's Cabinet Member for a More Prosperous Powys. "I hope more people will now be encouraged to stop off and see what both places have to offer and spend more than just a penny!"
The improvements were managed by Crickhowell Town Council and Berriew Community Council.
Crickhowell Town Councillor Tony D'Anna said: "This project took over six months to complete, but the hard work will pay off in the end. The town council and CRiC should save £5,000 per year on the operating costs for the toilets - currently more than £23,000 - and we will reduce our carbon footprint by over one tonne.
"Its success will be down to terrific partnership work with Powys County Council's tourism team, Bannau Brycheiniog National Park and CRiC staff."
Councillor Phil Bettley, Chair of Berriew Community Council remarked: "This major refurbishment was long overdue and entailed us buying the freehold from the landlord for £1 to secure the facilities into the future. We now have two modern, self-contained, private spaces with hygienic facilities which are frequented regularly by locals, tourists and those passing by.
"This couldn't have achieved without the Brilliant Basics grant and the National Lottery, Awards for All, scheme and we are very grateful to both bodies for their tremendous support."
The Welsh Government's Brilliant Basics scheme saw £5 million allocated to small-scale tourism infrastructure improvements across Wales for 2023-25.
The Welsh Government's Cabinet Secretary with responsibility for tourism, Rebecca Evans, said: "Targeted investment in essential facilities enhances our tourism infrastructure, and plays a vital role in delivering a positive experience for visitors while supporting our local economies.
"I'm delighted our Brilliant Basics funding has helped deliver these improvements in Crickhowell and Berriew. Not only will they improve accessibility - ensuring we provide a warm welcome to everybody who visits - but they will also help towards our climate commitments through energy-saving measures.
"Just this week I have announced the projects that will benefit from the next round of our Brilliant Basics fund, helping to create welcoming destinations that encourage visitors to explore more of what our beautiful country has to offer."
Powys County Council was successful in securing £300,000 of the £5 million, which was spent on 10 projects covering better access, car parks, trails, electric vehicle charging points, signage and interpretation, and toilet upgrades at various locations.
Visit Crickhowell: https://visitcrickhowell.wales/
Berriew Village and Community: https://www.berriew.com/
PICTURE: The refurbished public toilets in Berriew.
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