Crunch meeting on future of Ludlow public toilets

A behind-closed doors meeting will be held next week to discuss a deal to decide the future of two public toilets in Ludlow, officials said today. If a deal cannot be reached they will be closed on April 1.

Under a deal being thrashed out by officials at Ludlow Town Council and Shropshire Council, public toilets at Smithfield and Castle Street car parks will be transferred to the town council with Shirehall chiefs providing a one-off grant to pay for essential refurbishment work.

In return the town council will hand over ownership of its street lights in the town to the unitary authority and will forego an annual £18,000 grant established by the former South Shropshire District Council to maintain a number of green and public spaces in the town.

Town councillors will hold a confidential meeting to discuss the deal and its legal ramifications immediately after a meeting of the town council's services committee on Monday night.

Veronica Calderbank, clerk of Ludlow Town Council, said Shirehall chiefs were in the process of signing off the deal with the authority's chief executive Kim Ryley, but added she would be strongly recommending to councillors that they accept the proposal.

If a deal cannot be reached the toilets will close on April 1 as part of Shropshire Council's county-wide proposals to offload toilets in a bid to cut costs.

Ms Calderbank said: "There will be an apolitical discussion at the meeting where councillors will weigh up all the pros and cons of the offer."