WORCESTER City Council plans to close public lavatories as part of its £2.7 million budget cuts.

The building in the Bullring, St John’s, is in such poor condition it would cost between £60,000 and £70,000 to bring it up to scratch.

The council, which has just approved budget cuts totalling £1.9 million, says it does not have that amount of money.

Conservative leaders say people who need the lavatory have the choice of one at two nearby supermarkets and a third in Cripplegate Park.

The decision to close the Bullring lavatories has angered opposition Labour councillors who say the facility is well-used and vital for the elderly.

St John’s councillor David Candler, Labour, said: “St John’s is a busy community, it’s like a town centre and it needs lavatories.

"They are grotty but the council just doesn’t want to spend any money on them.”

At a full meeting of the council Councillor Roger Knight, deputy leader said: “We could keep these lavatories going another couple of years, of course we could, but do we really want to do that?

“Have you seen those lavatories? They are not in a good condition. They are not in line with public lavatories throughout the city.”

He said it would cost between £60,000 and £70,000 to refurbish them to the required standard.

Coun Knight said: “That’s money that we don’t have.”

He said the Bullring lavatories operate between 7am and 6pm and he thought the Co-op and Sainsbury’s supermarkets would be more than happy to let people use their facilities.

Councillor Knight said: “I don’t think closing these particular toilets is going to cause an inconvenience.”

At a full meeting of Worcestershire County Council concerns were raised by St John’s Labour member Richard Udall, who was worried that if the closure went ahead then people might use the nearby subway under Tybridge Street as a lavatory instead.

Councillor Derek Prodger, cabinet member for transport and safe environment, said he shared Coun Udall’s concerns and that he would visit the site with officers with a view to bringing forward proposals to close the subway off altogether.

At the Guildhall, while Liberal Democrats supported Labour’s amendment to the budget to stop the Bullring lavatories being closed until a further consultation had been carried out it was narrowly lost 16 votes to 17.

Speaking after the meeting Coun David Candler urged the council to talk with local businesses about the possibility of setting up a community lavatory scheme that would allow members of the public to use facilities during opening hours and without the need to make a purchase.

Where the cuts will fall

The main points of the city council’s budget are:

• Net budget reduced from £13.6 million to £10.9 million.

• Council tax frozen
• Charges for car parking to be frozen
• Councillors’ allowances to be frozen
• Five back office jobs to go
• Axeing of 10 senior management posts
• Public lavatories in St John’s to close
• Crematorium costs, in general, to rise
• Money given to voluntary and community groups stays the same
• No extra spending in the capital programme
• Creation of new pot of money for priority projects funded by annual underspends