THE town council will take over only three of Minehead’s five public toilets – despite a warning that it was breaking its own regulations.

West Somerset Council will relinquish the facilities at the end of March and there were stormy exchanges when the matter was discussed at Minehead Town Council’s meeting on Tuesday.

Opposition councillors argued that there was no business plan, valuations or costings for the takeover and that it had broken the council’s financial regulations relating to acquiring assets.

“We are always breaching our own regulations,” Cllr John Malin declared.

And the mayor, Cllr Jean Parbrook, told him: “You can quote all the regulations you like, but we might not have any toilets on April 1. No-one will have anywhere to go to the loo if we don’t take them over.”

Before the meeting, Cllr Mandy Chilcott, district council deputy leader, praised the town council’s support and co-operation over the toilets transfer and said the two authorities now had a great working relationship.

Cllr Parbrook said that, when negotiations for the toilets were in progress last November: “I think it is fair to say that I was very angry over the way that West Somerset Council was handling the takeover.

“I am pleased to report that, after some strong words by yours truly and others at the district council scrutiny committee, we are now making good progress.”