COUNCILLORS are set to discuss reopening toilets to the public after they were closed in May following a funding row.

Lyme Regis Town Council’s strategy and finance committee will look at reopening the Woodmead Halls toilets after previous chairman of the venue’s management committee, Cllr Stan Williams, labelled the amount offered to run the toilets “a joke”.

The toilets have been closed ever since in order for the council to gain a “better understanding of public demand for toilet provision” at Woodmead Halls.

The authority has only received one complaint about the closure of the toilets and has gathered no further information about demand for the facilities.

In a report to councillors, town clerk John Wright, said: “In response to the closure of the toilets to the public at Woodmead Halls, only one member of the public has complained to the council’s offices about this matter.

“No further data is held on public demand for these toilets. Any long-term decision on toilet re-provision at Woodmead Halls can only be made when there is a clear understanding of West Dorset District Council’s position on the transfer of their toilet blocks in Lyme Regis to the town council’ this will inform longer-term decisions about re-provision and refurbishment.”

The acting chairman of the Woodmead Halls management committee, has written to town mayor Cllr Owen Lovell, in an attempt to discuss reopening the toilets during peak times.

In his letter to Cllr Lovell, Philip Evans also described the previous discussions between the council and the venue’s management committee as “not conducted in an acceptable manner”.

He said: “We accept that discussions with the town council were not conducted in an acceptable manner and we believe it is in the long term interests of both the town and the Woodmead Halls, to open the toilets at peak times.

“My committee appreciate the council’s need to ensure facilities are delivered in the most cost effective manner and I am sure the council also appreciates that as a registered charity, the Woodmead Halls also has to operate in the most effective way in line with our constitution.

“We therefore accept that there is no requirement for the toilets at the Woodmead Halls to be open all-year round and we would like to arrange further discussions on the figures put forward by the town council to ensure the toilets are open at peak times. In doing so, it will be necessary for the Woodmead Halls to reduce its costs during the period that the toilets are closed.”

The management committee hope councillors will enter in discussions for a service level agreement to be established in order to reopen the toilets to the public.