A COUNCILLOR has said that the decision to close the public toilets in a Cotswold town is a complete joke after months of talks with owners about taking the "vital" facility over.

The toilets, confirmed to be closing by Stow Town Council chairman Ben Eddolls are located in the Market Square, leaving residents and tourists alike to travel to the public toilets in Maugersbury Road car park. 

According to the councillor, the town council and the district council have been in discussions to transfer the ownership of the toilets since March. 

Stow Town Council was offered a 25 year peppercorn lease by Cotswold District Council, however the town council "said no" as "toilets lose £15,000 per year, plus they are in a dilapidated state and the town council can't afford it."

Mr Eddolls said: "We have recently been told that Cotswold District Council will be closing the toilets in the square on September 30. 

"The toilets are vital to the town and many businesses. 

"It is a complete joke, we are supposed to be a premier place for people to visit and we are not going to have any toilets in the centre on the town. 

"It's going to have a major impact on all the businesses including the pubs and hotels. 

"Since Bourton lost its coach parking we have been getting a lot more coaches that want to visit Stow and they are going to want to use them."

Businesses in the market town have started a petition to keep the toilets open. 

Mr Eddolls continued: "The general consensus from the town is that people don't want them to close. 

"I don't know how we will cope when they do close, we already have reports of people urinating on the side streets and closing the toilets won't help that. 

"Lloyds bank recently announced that they would be closing their bank in Stow and this is just another nail in the coffin."

Councillor Mike Evemy, deputy leader of Cotswold District Council said: “We decided in February to explore alternative options for running some of our public toilets due to the challenging financial position of the council.

“Cotswold District Council currently operates two sets of toilets in Stow-on-the-Wold and will continue to operate the toilets in the Maugersbury Road car park. 

"The toilets in the town square have been the subject of discussions with Stow-on-the-Wold Town Council, but we have not been able to agree terms for the town council to take over and run the toilets. 

"In the absence of any such agreement the toilets in the town square will close on September 30.”