WATCHET town councillors – faced with an increase in annual service costs from £7,000 to over £20,000 – are considering taking over only one of the town’s two sets of toilets when the district council relinquish them next April.

The council also agreed at its meeting on Monday (November 14) to make “vigorous protests” to the district council about the “inadequacy of their approach and the unacceptability of their timing”.

Members have asked for more time for options to be properly costed and related to precept planning.

They also approved a budget of £500 to prepare a bid for the toilets.

Chairman of the toilet working group, Cllr John Irven, reminded councillors that last month operating costs for the Harbour Road and Market Street toilets had been reduced from £22,700 to £12,800 through lower business rates and utility costs.

“These were starting to become potentially affordable,” he said.

“However, we have now been informed that, in changing from the current service provider to a newer lower cost provider, the service costs have increased from £7,000 a year to £20,000, a factor of 2.8 times increase.”