BOVEY Tracey Town Council have gauged residents’ opinions about whether to impose charges on the new public toilets at the Riverside Community Centre.

The toilets, which include a disabled adult changing facility, replaced the old block in the Station Road car park block.

The Riverside toilets are currently free to use but the council is seeking ways to reduce the running costs of the new centre, believed to be in the region of £16-20k per year.

Asked if there should be a charge, a very small majority said no, they should remain free to use. Very nearly half (49.7 per cent) said they rarely use the facilities, while a similar number said they would be willing to pay an increase in the council tax precept to fund running costs.

A slightly smaller number (48 per cent) were unwilling to pay for the upkeep, and among those responders the most popular suggestion was a 20p per use fee.

Following the survey, a town council spokesman said: ‘There has been no decision made at present as the results were pretty inconclusive.

‘Discussion around charging or not has been deferred to be incorporated as part of the budget setting process which started with its initial meeting on Friday, November 4, and proposals will be discussed at January’s finance committee, with a decision ultimately being made at Full Council in January.’