LIFTON will lose its village loo ? and other parishes in West Devon will be asked to meet 30% of the cost of cleaning their public conveniences, the borough council confirmed on Tuesday.
Milton Abbot public toilet, which had also been earmarked for closure from February 2003, has already been shut under health and safety legislation, as it is judged to be in a dangerous state of repair.
The public toilet in North Road, Lifton, which figures show has one of the lowest levels of usage in the borough, will be shut from February 28 next year.
Cllr Christopher Hill told the meeting he was pleased to see the council in discussion with the parish of Lifton on establishing public toilets in the new village hall when it is built.
The borough has already written to parishes to propose they include a sum in their precepts to pay towards public toilet provision in their area, based on 30% of all cleaning costs.
A meeting should also be set up, and parishes advised that the 30% requested may increase in future years, it was recommended in a report presented to the full council on Tuesday.
The report also said if parish and town councils were unable to find the sum to secure a balanced budget, there could be more toilet closures in the 2003/04 financial year.
In Tavistock and Okehampton, one existing public convenience would be closed on a full-time basis and in rural parishes, public conveniences would be closed for a period during winter, long enough to achieve the needed saving.
Any parish or town council interested in totally taking over the public conveniences in their area should be ?actively encouraged? in subsequent negotiation, the report stated.
David Inman, deputy chief executive, said a parish contribution was needed to be able to underake a substantial repair programme on the borough?s 26 remaining toilets, or there would have to be some closures.
?We have got to take action and save it one way or another,? he said.
Cllr Dick Eberlie said: ?We have to start talking to parish councils to develop a strategy jointly.
?We want to work with them to develop their public lavatories to meet the requirements of the Disabled Persons? Act.?
Cllr Noel Cartwright presented a petition opposed to the closure of public toilets at Sampford Courtenay which he said demonstrated the strength of feeling on this issue among people living in rural areas. More than 250 signatures had been collected.
The decision to ask for 30% of cleaning costs was taken by the borough council?s environment committee a fortnight ago, but was referred back to full council.
An earlier proposal to close seven public toilets in rural areas met with strong opposition from the affected communities.