STRAIGHT-TALKING councillor Marcus Barr stormed out of a meeting of Wellington Town Council when he felt councillors were not listening to his claims that investing in public toilets was like throwing money down the pan.

An emergency meeting of the town council took place on Tuesday (November 26) for councillors to discuss the future of the vandal-hit and maintenance problem-plagued loos in Longforth Road.

While it quickly became evident that most councillors felt the toilets needed to remain in place, rather than be closed altogether, Cllr Barr was a lone voice in speaking out as to why money should not be spent on them.

“They are not an asset to the council, they are a liability,” he said. “It disappoints me that people want to invest in a liability.

“We could put £20,000 on the table [pointing to a table in the middle of the meeting room] and set fire to it.

“We seem to be happy to be investing in a liability – we are going to bankrupt the council. The toilets are a liability to the town council.”

The Mayor, Cllr Janet Lloyd, tried to reason with him and to move the debate on but frustrated Cllr Barr left the meeting telling his council colleagues ‘you aren’t listening to me’.

Cllr John Thorne said he was ‘disappointed’ by Cllr Barr’s ‘remarks and tone’ and hoped he would apologise at a later date.

But he added: “If we looked at the public toilets as if we were an accountant – Cllr Barr is right in what he says.”

Cllr Thorne said the toilets may not be an asset to the council in monetary terms, but they were of ‘value to the community’.

“However, if we had the money we would knock them down and start again,” he said.

Cllr Andy Govier said: “I understand why Cllr Barr gets frustrated but there is a difference between public service and assets.”

The council took on the toilets a few years ago from the then Taunton Deane Borough Council and it costs about £20,000 a year to keep them open. But they have fallen into a poor state of repair and there is a catalogue of problems – faulty locks or lighting, blocked drains and electrically-operated functions such as hand wash, water and drier not always working.

Councillors were presented with a possible five-year costing plan of ‘elemental works’ for the toilet block which amounted to £17,800.

Earlier, councillors heard from two members of the public and a handful who had contacted the council who said the Longforth Road toilets were an asset for the town and much-needed by visitors who were getting on and off nearby coaches and those who were ‘caught short’ while out shopping.

The Deputy Mayor, Cllr Mark Lithgow, said: “I’m vehemently against closing the toilets but we need them to be as cost-effective as possible.”

Cllr Andy Govier added: “We should keep them open and although we shouldn’t be spending a fortune on them, they do need some investment.”

Cllr Sean Pringle-Kosikowsky said how many parents have checked with children before heading into town as to whether they needed the toilet and then within five minutes of getting into town they say ‘we need a wee’.

Cllr Nancy Powell-Brace added: “I feel very strongly that at a time when we are trying to rejuvenate our town centre, an idea to close the toilets would be a short-sighted thing to do.”

Councillors agreed that the loos should stay open but that a property services consultant also be commissioned to look at the toilet block in full to see what could be done for the long-term future.