TOWNS and villages across the district are reacting with anger at “disgraceful” plans to close nearly all public toilets.

Seven conveniences would close under Bradford Council’s latest cost-cutting proposals, now out for public consultation.

They are in Saltaire, Bingley, Baildon, both Brook Street and Riverside in Ilkley, and both in Central Park and by the Bronte Parsonage in Haworth.

The cost of running all seven sites amounts to £144,600 a year.

Only the toilets in Bradford’s City Park would remain open.

Val Summerscales, secretary of the Bradford District Chamber of Trade, said the savings should be found from elsewhere, adding: “A town centre that doesn’t have public toilets is disgraceful.”

In Bingley, local councillor David Heseltine (Con, Bingley) said the town’s public toilets had only opened eight to ten years ago and were much-valued.

He said: “It’s in a central location and is a nice, new, modern facility. It’s what a public toilet should be.”

Cllr Heseltine said it looked like yet again, the cuts were hitting the wider district while the city was protected.

Baildon councillor Mike Pollard (Con) made a similar point, saying the cuts seemed “unnecessarily vexatious for frankly piffling amounts of money and is the sort of thing that really gets people’s backs up”.

He said the Baildon Town Council, which already contributed to the maintenance of the toilets, might look to save the facilities.

In Ilkley, ratepayers are also being asked if they would be willing to contribute more through their parish council precept to keep the town’s public toilets open.

Cllr Anne Hawkesworth (Ind, Ilkley) has written to around 400 households to gauge their views.

In Saltaire, local councillor Martin Love (Green, Shipley) said toilets should be a public health matter and the cut would hit older and disabled people hardest.

Councillor Sarah Ferriby, Labour-led Bradford Council’s executive member for the environment, said: “Although the Council will no longer be able to fund these toilets it is hoped parish councils, voluntary organisations or other community groups may come forward to take them on and keep them open.”

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