Future of public toilets in doubt after transfer fails

Hambleton District Council had hoped to end its responsibility for the toilets in the centre of Northallerton as it battles to make savings totalling £1.65m in this financial year alone to counter a reductions in Government funding.

But a deal to transfer the running of the toilets to Northallerton Town Council has failed, and the district council’s Cabinet will meet next week to decide the fate of the public conveniences.

The Mayor of Northallerton, Coun John Coulson, who is also a member of the district council, confirmed that the town council had been unwilling to assume responsibility for the toilets due to the financial implications.

They are the only facility in Hambleton that charge users 20p a visit and are staffed seven days a week – currently costing the district authority £31,000 a year to run. But Coun Coulson was adamant the town council remained committed to keeping the toilets open, and expressed hopes that a solution could be found by sharing costs with the district authority or recruiting a private contractor to take on the conveniences.

He added: “The toilets are used by thousands of people, including visitors and not just the residents of Northallerton. It is very disappointing to find the situation we are in, but hopefully the issue will be resolved without the closure of the toilets.”

District councillors agreed earlier this year to transfer the operation of public toilets to local town and parish councils. The budget drawn up by the district authority meant each parish council would receive a one-off grant of one-and-a-half times the annual running costs and the freehold to each of the conveniences.

Agreements have so far been reached to transfer the toilets in Thirsk, Great Ayton, Osmotherley, Stokesley, Swainby, Easingwold and Bedale – with three of the conveniences already passed over to the parishes. But Cabinet members will be told on Tuesday that talks on the future of the Northallerton toilets have so far failed. The district council’s leader, Neville Huxtable, stressed “all remaining options” will be analysed before a decision is reached on the future of the Northallerton toilets.