Tax hike warning over cost of public toilets

Church Stretton residents were today warned they face a "significant" tax hike next year due to town councillors stepping in to save their under-threat public toilets.

The town council has agreed to foot the maintenance bill of up to £15,000-a-year for the town centre toilets, which Shropshire Council had been considering closing.

Councillor Tony Way, chairman of the finance committee, said today that the town council had been left with no other option due to the importance of the toilets for tourists. Councillor Way said: "Shropshire Council needs to hand over some of the things they are operating to save money and were considering closing the toilets.

"We can't let that happen in a town likes ours that depends on tourism to survive.

"We will run the toilets, but that goes with a cost of £14,000 to £15,000 a year which will be have to be added to our overall precept of about £220,000."

In return for taking over the service Shropshire Council has given the town council a one-off £5,000 grant and agreed to pay the running cost of 38 street lights, which is about £1,300 each year.

Mr Way revealed he has asked county leaders to also hand over power of the town's money-earning car park to help balance the books.

So far the bid has been unsuccessful.

Mr Way said: "Even considering the one-off payment, that still leaves about £10,000 for us to find from somewhere, so it's possible some of that may be carried forward to next year.

"So next year there will be a significant, but not horrendous, rise.

"We will look for efficiency savings, but if we are to raise this money there is no other way to do it than raise the precept and we are doing our best to raise awareness of that."