Council set to close unattended toilets

Members of the council’scabinet committee are meeting today to discuss the proposed closure of 11 unattended toilets which will save the authority £151,000 in cleaning and other costs. A survey suggested that the facilities are not well used.

The council, which is faced with making £30m in cuts to its overall budget in 2013-14, has asked local groups if they wanted to take over running of the toilets in their area as part of the cost-cutting drive. But there was no interest in the following facilities - Batley (Market Street); Heckmondwike Market Place; Marsden (Peel Street); Slaithwaite (Carr Street); Milnsbridge (Morley Lane) and Marsh (Westbourne Road).

There is a possibility offers may yet come in for taking over toilets in Birstall, Mirfield, Holme village, Honley and New Mill. If the toilets are closed, the council intends to sell the buildings to raise money.

The deputy leader of Kirklees Council, Coun David Sheard, said: “Budget cuts are increasingly forcing difficult decisions such as this on us, but any decision to bring a service to an end is regrettable.

“We have delayed the closure of public toilets for 12 months so that interested community groups or organisations have the opportunity to come forward with their own proposals to keep toilets open, but while these investigations and discussions progress, Cabinet will decide whether the facilities should close.”

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