Public Toilets in Derby

11.10.00pm GMT Mon 15th Dec 2008

The Lib Dem Group of Derby City Council has listened to the concerns about closing public toilets in the city centre and has agreed to keep them open.

Council Leader Hilary Jones said, "Labour left us with a one third cut in the public toilets budget. We've now achieved enough savings to keep the city centre toilets open until April 2009."

Labour voted through a budget in March 2008 which reduced the budget for public toilets from £430,000 to £286,000. The budget papers only showed the remaining budget and it seems from comments since that Labour councillors did not understand what they were voting for when they approved the Budget last March. The Liberal Democrats voted against, and the Tories abstained.

Councillor Joe Naitta, who has responsibility on the Cabinet for the toilets said, "We've listened to comments from a wide range of people, including the results of our own telephone survey. Good financial management has released enough money to keep the toilets open till April. They will also be a priority in the current budget-setting process for the year from April."