Town's bus station facilities to close for good

Campaigners say the facilities are vital for travellers

Yeovil bus station's toilets and waiting room are to close permanently.

Somerset Council said it could no longer afford to run the facilities.

On Tuesday, Yeovil Town Council decided it wouldn't be able to take them on either.

Town council leader Graham Oakes said his authority had received lots of requests to take on services and therefore "couldn't afford to take over the toilets".

He said the toilets need around £70,000 spending on them to bring them "up to a standard that we'd accept" as well as having ongoing running costs.

Mr Oakes said the town council paid for other public toilets in the town and is also taking on Yeovil Recreation Ground sports facilities and other assets from Somerset Council.

Yeovil Town Council is writing to Somerset Council asking it to look into a possible government fund for bus station facilities.

Linda Snelling from Somerset Bus Partnership had hoped the toilets would be saved

Linda Snelling, from Somerset Bus Partnership, previously said the decision to close the toilets was "shocking".

"The toilets are vital," she told BBC Radio Somerset, adding she believed vulnerable people would be put off from travelling if they close.

"I don't know of many transport hubs which haven't got a toilet facility - it comes with the territory... the vulnerable use this area," Ms Snelling said.

'Financial emergency'

A spokesperson for Somerset Council said: "The financial emergency facing this and other councils across the country is well documented and will have very real impacts on local people.

"In order to set a balanced budget for 2024/25 and bridge a funding gap of £100m we have had to take some difficult decisions and make savings by reviewing non-statutory services that we greatly value but simply cannot afford.

"Some of the services initially put forward for savings were protected through devolution and partnership working with City, Town and Parish Councils. The toilets at Yeovil Bus Station have not been devolved and are set to close on 31 May."