LYDFORD’S public toilets will be saved for the community after the parish council agreed to take them on but deemed it ‘totally unfair’ of West Devon Borough Council to devolve responsibility.

In order for Lydford Parish Council to take on the financial responsibility of running its public toilets, councillors have ‘reluctantly’ had to agree to a rise in the parish’s precept for the next financial year but will be looking at ways to mitigate costs for residents.

West Devon Borough Council has asked parish and town councils across the borough to shoulder the financial burden of the public loos or see them close, in a bid to save the borough council £50,000 from its budget.

Lydford Parish councillors discussed the request at length during a meeting last week, attended by a number of parishioners.

Councillors felt that access to public toilets should remain available to residents and visitors to Lydford but noted that taking them on would cost the council half the annual precept budget.

West Devon Borough Council had asked councils for a decision by December 18.

After the meeting, Cllr Lesley Fowler said: ‘It was deemed totally unfair of West Devon Borough Council not only to ask parish councils to take over responsibility for public toilets but to do so within a timeframe which gave councils virtually no opportunity to consult with their residents or to investigate costs and liabilities.

‘That said, Lydford prides itself on the welcome it extends to visitors and tourists and that welcome should include access to toilet facilities.’

She said neither English Heritage or Dartmoor National Park Authority, both of which benefited from tourism, were prepared to offer their support in this matter.

‘The cost to the parish council of taking over the toilets will equate to half of the total budget made available through the annual precept and is therefore prohibitive unless more funding can be found,’ she said.

‘It was with a degree of reluctance therefore, that the parish council resolved to raise its precept.

‘This will, if agreed by the borough council, lead to an increase in council tax for residents of Lydford.

‘Every effort will be made to mitigate this cost through donations and sponsorship in the hope that after the first year, which will be run on a trial basis, savings can be found and passed on to parishioners by way of a reduced precept.’

Cllr Fowler said the upkeep of the toilets would cost the council in the region of £3,000, so that would be the amount extra that the council would ask to add on to its precept.

Tavistock Town Council discussed the request of taking over its public toilets at a meeting of the full council last week.

It was decided to conduct a public consultation exercise regarding potentially taking on any, all or no public conveniences and authorise further negotiations with West Devon Borough Council to identify the basis on which future services could be sustainably provided.