Shropshire public conveniences 'cannot be guaranteed'

The future of public toilets in Shropshire cannot be guaranteed unless they are offloaded to town and parish councils, a meeting heard.

Shropshire Council has written to Wem Town Council to warn the closure of all public toilets is being "actively considered" as part of belt-tightening measures.

Shirehall wants to transfer ownership of toilets and devolve their running to grassroots authorities in the face of massive spending cuts following the Government's comprehensive spending review.

Members of the town council last night claimed they were already burdened with the running of too many key services.

Councillors gave Wem Town Hall and Wem Swimming Pool as examples of services which have only survived local authority spending cuts because the town council saved them.

In his letter to the council, Steve Brown, Shropshire Council head of environmental services, said: "If towns and parish councils do not wish to negotiate the development of public conveniences, I cannot guarantee that public conveniences will remain open."

Councillor Mandy Meakin, Mayor of Wem, said: "This means that if we don't take over the running of the toilets we are being threatened with the closure of them."

The meeting heard the running costs of the town's only operational public toilets on the main car park would be about £10,000.

Councillor Chris Mellings warned that by adopting the toilets, the town council might have to add about £5 a year to each Wem household's precept for its share of the council tax.