MINEHEAD Town Council has joined the growing criticism of West Somerset Council’s handling of the future of the area’s public toilets.
The mayor, Cllr Jean Parbrook, said she was “horrified” by West Somerset Council’s “breathtaking arrogance”.
Cllr Parbrook told town councillors at their meeting last week that she was “dismayed” by the terms being offered.
“The accompanying letter threatened to sell the properties commercially if we do not agree to their heads of terms by December 16,” she said.
The Free Press has learned that other local councils currently negotiating with West Somerset Council over ways of taking over the area’s 14 public toilets have been presented with a similar deadline to sign a leasing agreement.
They claim it does not give them time to make take-over arrangements.
Councils have also been asked to sign a 35-year lease when they were hoping to be offered the freehold of the toilets.
“You will not be surprised to hear we are not the only dissatisfied council,” Cllr Parbrook said.
She added that, as a result, all interested parties were being urged to attend a special meeting of West Somerset’s scrutiny committee yesterday (November 24) at which councillors and officers would face questions on the way the transfers were being carried out.
Local town and parish councils have reported that problems over negotiating a possible hand-over have grown as March 2017 - the date the district council will cease to operate the toilets – grows nearer.
A West Somerset Council spokesman said: “The council is prepared to be flexible and and look at a range of options so that the facilities can be transferred to town and parish councils.
“Questions regarding leasehold or freehold transfer will be discussed at further meetings, as some areas may prefer to take a lease, while others may prefer freehold.”
After yesterday’s meeting - which began as the Free Press went to print - the scrutiny committee will make recommendation to the council’s cabinet.