A DECISION to close many public toilets in Monmouthshire in an effort to save £184,556 has been called in by six county councillors.

Monmouthshire County Council announced last month that 16 public toilets would either be closed or handed over to another organisation, reducing the cost of running public conveniences in the county from £330,194 to £145,638.

The authority currently owns 29 public toilets, but under the new plans 14 will be closed or transferred to a private body, town or community council and two will be closed without the possibility of transfer.

Any toilets not taken over by town or community councils will be closed on April 1 next year.

Now the group of councillors have called in the decision, and it will be reconsidered at a special strong communities select committee this week.

Councillor Simon Howarth, Douglas Edwards, James George, Jacqui Sullivan, Armand Watts and Linda Guppy say that proper consultation should have been conducted with town and community councils to see if they were willing to take over the management of toilets before this decision was taken by cabinet.

They say the decision goes against the recommendation of the strong communities select committee that toilets in gateway areas be maintained.