NORTH Tawton councillors have agreed to keep the town?s public toilets open throughout the summer.

North Tawton is one of eight parishes across West Devon where the borough council is closing toilets as part of budget cuts. It wants parishes to take on the responsibility for keeping the toilets open.

Town clerk Debbie Branch said the town council agreed at its meeting last week to take on the cost of keeping the toilets open at least through the summer and potentially for another year.

She said the council was looking at working out finances for essential maintenance work on the toilets for next year?s budget.

Councillors say the borough council has carried out no maintenance work on the toilets since 1996, leading to their present poor state of repair.

Cllr Nick Morgan handed in a 200-name petition signed by North Tawton residents to West Devon Borough Council on the same day.

North Tawton postmaster and Business Action Group chairman Nigel Davies helped put together the petition, which was made available for signatures in the post office.

Mr Davies said the possible closure of the toilet had been a hot topic among people using the post office.

?There have been people who come into the town from outside who have said they may have to reconsider if there is not that facility,? he said.

Mr Davies said with more housing in North Tawton and a new car park set to open in the town, the facility was needed as much as ever.

?The parking issue has been an age-old problem, it seems ridiculous to be losing the basic requirement of a public toilet.

?It is a growing town and the Business Action Group and the North Tawton Development Trust are doing an awful lot to make people want to come in; for something like the toilets to be lost is taking a backwards step.?

Mr Davies said he was pleased the town council had agreed to meet the costs of keeping the toilets open at least through the summer and he hoped discussions would continue to find a more permanent solution.

Ward member for North Tawton Cllr Morgan presented the petition of more than 200 names to West Devon Borough Council at its full meeting last week.

He said: ?The public are vehemently against the closure of these toilets which are frequently used by parents with young children, the elderly and tourists on the Tarka Trail.

?Shopkeepers feel any closure will severely damage trade because people will go elsewhere to shop.

?North Tawton is expanding with new housing and a long awaited town centre car park and to lose the public toilets at this stage would be ludicrous.?

Discussions are due to take place with officers from the borough council to identify the costs of keeping the toilets open, in the short and long-term.