AN extraordinary meeting of Swaffham Town Council will be held in January so it can make a decision on what to do about the town's only public toilets.
AN extraordinary meeting of Swaffham Town Council will be held in January so it can make a decision on what to do about the town's only public toilets.
In October, following a review of the facility, the council voted to investigate whether it would be more cost effective to close the toilets, which are situated next to the old tourist information office on Market Place, and pay businesses in the town to open their loos up to passers by.
A working group is currently looking into the issue and 20 businesses in the town have now been contacted to see if they would be willing to participate.
The move has caused anger amongst many in Swaffham who say that closing the toilets would be to the town's detriment because it will deter visitors and have an impact on both tourism and retail.
At the council's monthly meeting on Wednesday councillors decided the issue was so important that they would hold an extraordinary public meeting on January 13 to look at the issue.
As a result the council's first full council meeting of 2010 will now be held a week later on January 20.
Mayor David Harman told Wednesday's meeting: 'The town council requests that the public toilets working group should be allowed the courtesy of carrying out the task set them by the town council.
'It is appreciated that there are strong opinions on the subject, not in the least of these have been aired in correspondence received either directly or via the local press.
'The resident population who live and work in the town, our business community and our visitors should be assured that all comments will be taken into account.'
Mr Harman went on reassure those with concerns that the toilets will just be closed and no alternative provision found.
'The public toilets are not closed and will not be closed in advance of putting in place a community toilet scheme,' he added.
'Swaffham will have public toilets in the foreseeable future.'
The town council is under no statutory obligation to provide public toilets in the town.
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