STOW Town Council is to write to Cotswolds MP Geoffrey Clifton-Brown about their concerns over plans to build unisex toilets in the town.

The decision to write to the MP, which was made at last Thursday's council meeting, came after months of frustration with Cotswold District Council, which town councillors feel has failed to listen to public concerns about the planned loos.

The council has contacted CDC environment portfolio holder Mark Tufnell on a number of occasions, seeking to put their concerns about the proposals, but councillors feel these have fallen on deaf ears.

The new loos, which would replace the existing public gents and ladies toilets off Stow Squarewith three paid-for unisex cubicles, including one for disabled people, are expected to cost £98,000, according to local district councillor David Penman.

The town council believes the existing toilets could be refurbished far more cheaply and is opposed to them being unisex.

However, Cllr Penman said the new loos were part of a £1million capital programme to update public toilets throughout the district and that the scheme had to be paid for by charging users, most of whom were visitors rather than local residents.

However, town councillor John Kennell told Cllr Penman, a Conservative councillor, that some people in the town were worried that their concerns were not necessarily being represented to the portfolio holder.

"There is a problem with the democratic process. It's not a democratic process if members have to toe the party line and do as they are told," said Cllr Kennell.