New plans have been submitted to convert a disused building within the wooded grounds of Southlands National Park, in Warwick, into public washroom facilities.

It comes after public debate and rallies over the question of how to make best use of the South Shore beauty spot, with some calling for it to be left to nature.

The government application, submitted this month, proposes remodelling a vacant garage and storage area within the Warwick park into men’s and women’s bathrooms.

The plans show the lower floor of the building housing the men’s washrooms, while an extension would be created on the upper floor to accommodate the women’s washrooms, both of which would include showers.

In addition to internal works, the project would involve removing the structure’s garage door, replacing it with a conventional door, replacing the windows and adding a white-stepped roof.

The proposal was put forward less than a month after another application, which sought to convert the same building into a residential apartment, was refused.

The proposal had been recommended for refusal on the basis that it was incompatible with the property’s status as a national park and that allowing residential projects would “fundamentally alter” the purpose of the site.

Minutes from the Development Applications Board meeting of September 17 noted that a board member expressed “comprehensive agreement” with the assessment before the board rejected the plan.

However, the DAB has approved plans to convert another building on the site, Quarry Cottage, into an office for the Mirrors Programme, which already operates in the park.

Several other proposals have also been submitted, including the instillation of a zip-line attraction, the construction of a café and the conversion of another former residence into a meeting and event space for Mirrors.

Last month in the House of Assembly, Jaché Adams, the Minister of Public Works and Environment, insisted that the Government was proceeding with care on options for any development within the national park, which he pointed out already contained buildings and paved pathways.

Mr Adams told MPs that the goal was “to bring Southlands back to life in a way that respects nature, honours history and gives the public better access and enjoyment without overdevelopment”.