Public toilets face closure

Some local public toilets are set to close after Powys County Council said it is washing its hands on them at the end of the financial year.

The council’s cabinet has agreed that the 38 public toilets still managed by them will have to close, unless community groups step forward to take them on.

Welshpool Town Council takes charge of the town’s toilets in August, backed by grants of £10,000 per facility from Powys, but the remainder will close in the county by March 2014 unless other local councils step in.

Councillor Barry Thomas, Cabinet Member for Environment said: “The combination of public, private and community support has supported a network of public facilities in the county. We are planning to build on that partnership work and maintain this important service despite severe financial pressures.

“We are committed to providing public facilities alongside or near to trunk roads in the county until the end of the financial year and provide a new grant to private companies to open their facilities to the public.

“In the past we have successfully transferred facilities to community groups and want to extend it for the remaining 38 toilets directly managed by the county council. Groups taking on the facilities would receive a council grant for the service.

“If community groups are not interested in managing the facilities then unfortunately the council will be forced to close them at the end of October. If there is no interest after that date the facilities will be declared surplus by March 2014.”

The county currently has 67 public toilets - some owned and operated by the Welsh Government, others operated by community groups including town and community councils with 38 operated by the county council. Nearly 30 private facilities are also open to the public thanks to a Welsh Government community toilet grant scheme.