A Powys County Council chief has confirmed that talks will be held at the end of September to find a solution on the closed public toilets in Machynlleth.
The town’s only council-run toilet block in Maengwyn Street car park just off the high street has repeatedly been targeted by vandalism, councillors said, sending maintenance and upkeep costs soaring.
The town council had been looking after the toilets but closed them down in January in an effort by the town council to lower council tax and due to continued criminal damage, as works to secure them were estimated at £25,000.
The town council had been looking to secure funding for the work, which would include installing steel doors, but had so far been unsuccessful, with the town council writing to the county council in a bid to get Powys to take back responsibility for maintenance in a bid to get the toilets reopened.
Residents, visitors and businesses have all raised concerns over the continued closure of the public toilets, with calls for them to reopen made continually during the summer holiday season.
A question was raised on the future of the toilets to Matt Perry, Powys County Council’s head of highways, transport and recycling, by Glantwymyn county councillor Elwyn Vaughan last week.
Cllr Vaughan said: “A few months ago, the public toilets by the car park in Machynlleth were closed. There was no written agreement or lease between the town council and the county council.
“The place was closed due to its condition.
“This was supposed to be short term.
“More’s the pity, several months have gone by and much complaining by visitors from near and far away.”
“What is the latest situation and the timetable for improving this resource?”
In response, Mr Perry said: “I can confirm that our economy team are due to meet with the town council and new clerk at the end of September to discuss funding options for the public toilets.
“In the meantime the council has received the keys back and will keep them on our system until we find a solution.”
Earlier this year, a Powys County Council spokesperson said that “the county council fully appreciates the pressures we are all finding with budgets at this time, even more so when some of that pressure is from unnecessary acts such as vandalism.”
“We provided transition funding over a significant but limited period to support the transfer of public toilets to the operators,” the council said.
“We continue to support them indirectly by given a concession for the business/non-domestic rates element.
“This is rates that we collect on behalf of Welsh Government.
“We have also provided a small one-off grant from council reserves to support additional costs and recovery operations linked with the pandemic.”