All Saints’ Church in Barnby-in-the-Willows applies to Newark and Sherwood District Council for permission to have a Kazuba waterless toilet in its graveyard

What do you do if you need the loo in an English country churchyard?

Toilets aren’t often a fearure of most churches so the answer is often cross your legs and wait for the sermon to end.

However, church authorities at All Saints’ in leafy Barnby-in-the-Willows have come up with a pew plan to benefit the congregation and those attending weddings or funerals – a waterless loo in the graveyard.

The Grade I listed 13th century church’s proposal to Newark and Sherwood District Council is for it to grant planning permission for a Kazuba K2 waterless toilet with disabled access, housed in a wooden cabin.

It would to be sited alongside the public footpath that runs through the churchyard.

It wrote in support of its application: “The church has no facilities for visitors who have sometimes travelled long distances to attend a wedding or funeral and there are no available toilets nearby.

“The lack of a toilet also limits the use of the church for social events and other activities which are essential for the continued viability of a small parish church.

“It would also be welcomed by the many walkers who use the network of footpaths leading from the church and those who come to visit the church which is open daily.

“Support has been demonstrated by 27 signatures on a sheet left in the church porch agreeing that it is a much-needed facility.

“Apart from the evidence of frequent verbal requests from visitors needing to use a toilet, we have consulted via the village newsletter and social media with no negative responses and recent fundraising drives and generous donations for the project have confirmed support from the community.

“This is an eco-friendly toilet system which simply uses sunlight and wind to dry and decompose human waste with no chemicals involved and very little maintenance required. The only energy source required is a light breeze to turn the extractor, hence the need for it to be sited in an open position.

“The forced air flow reduces waste by 90%, kills pathogenic bacteria, promotes aerobic bacteria and eliminates odour.

“We visited a Kazuba installation at Clipstone allotments which is also used by the local primary school for outdoor activities and heard from the site manager that he was very impressed with it .

“All of this is important to us as a bronze award-winning eco-church promoting wildlife in the churchyard where we have left areas to re-wild and provided community spaces with pathways, picnic bench and seating.”

The loo would be sited away from any graves on a part of the churchyard that is currently left unmown that was purchased in the late 1940s so church authorities are confident there are no unmarked graves there.

Even so, the Diocesan Board would require an archaeologist to be present during excavation for the concrete base.

Thousands of award-winning Kazuba units have been installed around the country. They have a unique system that works with no need for water, electricity or chemicals.

They have been installed at allotments, community gardens, golf courses, solar farms, fisheries, camping and glamping sites, nurseries, schools, universities, museums, parks, nature reserves, beaches, castles, car-parks and playgrounds.