PUBLIC conveniences were yet again discussed at Bude-Stratton Town Council’s full committee meeting at the Parkhouse Centre last Thursday evening, where it was made clear that no final decision had yet been made.

Cllr Alan Biggs gave the rest of the town council an update on devolution from the working group, which was formed approximately three months ago to look into areas such as public toilets, libraries etc.

In this instance, Cllr Biggs said there was not much in terms of an update to give other than the fact Bude-Stratton Town Council are continuing to work with Cornwall Council to find a positive and practical solution to keep the toilets open.

• CORNWALL Council said it has achieved its aim of keeping public toilets in Cornwall open in the face of cuts in its funding from the Government — with more than 200 transferring to new ownership and management by the end of April.

Joyce Duffin, Cornwall Council cabinet member for environment and housing said: “The sheer scale of the Government’s cuts to local government budgets means that we have been forced to review how we provide a range of services. The provision of public toilets is not a statutory duty but, of course, we recognise their importance to the local community and visitors alike.

“I am very grateful to our town and parish councils, businesses, community groups and local organisations for their support. Over 200 public toilets have now been transferred to them and they are able to respond to the needs of their communities by maintaining them locally and choosing when to have the toilets open.”

The council said the majority of the 200 toilets are now being run by town and parish councils, with some transferred to other local organisations. Seven toilets are being taken over by private businesses through the ‘Your Convenience’ programme.

A small number will continue to be run by Cornwall Council, with the funding coming from a range of different sources, including working with local businesses and organisations, and installing charging.

The council said it could not provide any further detail, as ‘discussions are still ongoing’.

Council leader John Pollard said: “This is an enormous achievement which meets the council’s objective of coping with the cuts in our funding by doing things differently and marks a new relationship between Cornwall Council and its partners.”