Uncertainty over future of toilets in tourist village

Two of the public toilet blocks in Cheddar have been closed for a month

Businesses in a Somerset village popular with tourists have criticised the decision to close public toilets due to a council's financial constraints.

Three public toilet blocks in Cheddar were closed by Somerset Council in April, but one has since reopened.

Dawn Farmer runs the Mousehole Café and told BBC Radio Somerset: "The toilets were just closed with no warning."

Somerset Council says it is in discussion with the parish council about "a long-term solution".

The Daghole block at Cheddar Gorge currently remains open

Cheddar Parish Council has reopened the Daghole block in Cheddar Gorge on a temporary basis until September.

The other two blocks, at the Cliff Street car park and in the village centre on Station Road, currently remain closed.

Businesses in the village have continued to express "concern" about the lack of toilets to the council.

Ms Farmer continued: "We’ve just had people coming constantly to use our toilets, 10 to 15 people were coming every half an hour.

"I didn’t mind to start with, but it’s unsustainable, so I was politely asking people if they’d buy something to contribute towards the cleaning costs."

Many people used the toilets at The Mousehole Café over the Easter holidays

Pauline Goodfellow, who has lived in Cheddar for more than 40 years, called the decision to close the toilets "disgusting".

She said: "All these people who come to Cheddar on a coach at the weekend, where do they go to toilet?"

Derek Bradley-Balmer, chairman of Cheddar Parish Council said: "We understand the frustrations from businesses and tourists about the lack of toilets.

"The good news is the Daghole toilet block up the gorge will remain open until September.

"There is a film production company that want to film around Cheddar Gorge and have offered a compensation payment to pay for our toilets.

"We can't guarantee this, but they are in discussion with Somerset Council. However, this is not a long-term solution and we are looking at ways to solve this."