NOT a penny will be spent by the Wiltshire Council from April 1 on providing many public toilets across Wiltshire.

Wiltshire Council have given up responsibility for the facilities, with many being closed down all together or transferred to town councils.

Town councils in Bradford on Avon, Warminster, Westbury and Melksham Without Parish Council have decided to shoulder that responsibility and pay for them themselves.

Warminster Town Council is planning to take control of the town’s central car park and the Warminster Park toilets for a combined £35,000 – but they may stay closed for months after the April deadline.

“The town council is interested in operating both facilities and are currently working on the preparation of a lease but there are still outstanding issues that need to be clarified,” said town clerk Heather Abernethie.

“We are not going to be able to meet the deadline on April 1. Hopefully we can by July but we are still in the preparation stage.”

Bradford on Avon’s deputy mayor Laurie Brown said the town council has been told the public toilets at the station car park and St Margaret’s will cost £8,969 and £8,500 respectively.

“We haven’t been given any choice at all. No negotiation or options. ‘Do you want it or not?’" he said.

“We cannot have a town without public conveniences, especially for a town like ours that has put so much effort into boosting tourism here. Hopefully there won’t be any closures or delays in terms of their usage when the transfer occurs.”

Melksham Without Parish Council has agreed to join forces with Melksham Town Council and come up with £7,500 to keep the Market Place toilets open.

It was announced back in November that two of the three blocks of public toilets in Melksham would close this year when Wiltshire Council withdraws its funding.

Clerk Teresa Strange said: “The reason that they are important for the residents of Melksham Without is that they come in from outside and should not have to rely on shops."

“We also want to keep them open 24 hours because the shops are not open that long.”

Westbury Town Council will discuss the matter at its meeting on March 7.

“All we have done is express our interest to Wiltshire Council that we are interested in taking them over in the form of a seven-year lease for the toilets on Warminster Road and the High Street Short Stay Car Park,” said town clerk Keith Harvey.

Trowbridge Town Council already runs the public toilets in the town park.