A HUGE rethink on Huddersfield's public toilets is on the way.
Many are a filthy disgrace, haunted by drug addicts and sex seekers.
Now Kirklees Council is scrutinising all 47 public toilets in the district. And they'll be asking local people: What do you think?
A spokesman for the council's environmental services said: "The question is, what should we do? There's no statutory obligation for us to provide any toilets at all. So we may consider shutting some, or refurbishing others."
The cost of doing up loos ranges between £10,000 and £50,000.
But pristine toilets are just as much at risk from vandals. Staff to look after loos are said to be out of the question because of the cost.
A total of 31 public toilets are ordinary, stand-alone blocks. Ten are controlled by the council's leisure and recreation service and tend to be in parks. Five are in markets and new public toilets are set to be built at Castle Hill as part of the pub development.
The spokesman added: "There used to be more toilets but some have been knocked down or boarded up because of vandalism."
The loos at Fir Cottage at Ravensthorpe have been boarded up and the stand-alone toilets in Greenhead Park, not the ones next to the cafe, were shut some time ago.
"Staffing would be a huge cost," said the spokesman. People think toilets would be best locked-up at night, but there's no way we could do it."
Council officials have toured all the loos and assessed their condition ready for a major report to be put before the council's Cabinet on September 22. The report will be made public a week before.
The spokesman said the issue of men using toilets for sex was a problem all over: "It happens at any and all toilets, at any time."
