LISKEARD Town Council has secured an offer potentially worth more than £70,000 from Cornwall Council to redevelop the public toilets in Dean Street.

This will provide a modern state-of-the-art facility which will include a cubicle accessible for the disabled. 

The council already owns and maintains the existing women's toilets but under the agreement Cornwall Council will sell the freehold of the rest of the public area to it for £1. The public sitting space will also be redesigned.

The town council will undertake to prepare the design, specifications and tender the proposed works, subject to planning consent. Cornwall Council will then offer a capital contribution to the proposed redevelopment based on the tender price.

At the same time the Westbourne car park toilets will be prepared for closure by September 1, apart from a unisex/disabled cubicle.

The town council will also take over the Sungirt car park toilets by September 1, which will be inspected and refurbished by Cormac Solutions and leased to the council under a 99-year lease.

Improvements

Cornwall Council has estimated the work needed at Westbourne and Sungirt to be in the region of £11,000 and will make this amount available to the town council once formal acceptance of the proposals is given. The agreement also comes with an initial grant of £8,519 towards running costs.

Town mayor Tony Powell said: 'Having quality facilities is essential for any town centre and this, together with other planned improvements, will play its part in improving footfall.'

Mayoress and county cllr Jan Powell, who brokered the meeting with cllr Steve Double, cabinet member for environment, waste management and shared services, said: 'This is good news for the people of Liskeard. We will get a new modern toilet at a time when we thought we would lose the toilets in Westbourne car park. I hope this is the first of many initiatives which will deliver improved services and employment for Liskeard people.'