Crickhowell's public toilets, which have been operated on behalf of Powys County Council by the Crickhowell Resource and Information Centre (CRiC) since 2006, are under threat of closure next year because the council wants to slash its funding by more than fifty percent.

Currently the council pays CRiC around £6,000 a year to operate the facilities – which covers the operating costs of heating, water, repairs and an annual 'deep clean'.

Daily cleaning is carried out by the council, but this will cease in 2014 and the council will only pay £5,000 annually for a three year period to cover all the costs of running the lavatories, including cleaning. 

Jan Morgan, Manager of CRiC, said "The amount of money the council is willing to offer does not nearly match the overall running costs, but we recognise that the facilities are an important public service and we are looking at alternative ways of keeping them open.

"The problem we face is that Powys CC are proposing £5,000p.a. for three years only, after that the payment will drop to £1,500p.a., which will hardly cover the utility costs.

"One possibility we are exploring is for the Town Council to bridge the gap between what is on offer and the actual running costs and we are in touch with them about this option.

"Some local villages have volunteers looking after and cleaning their public lavatories and this may be an option for Crickhowell."

Other public lavatories in Powys are also under threat as the council desperately tries to balance its budget.

The lavatories in Crickhowell will close at the end of March 2014 unless alternative funding sources or a core of willing volunteers are found to keep them open beyond that date.

According to the county council's cabinet, public toilet facilities in Powys should be provided by community groups, the private sector, the county council and Welsh Government.

The county currently has 67 public toilets - some owned and operated by Welsh Government, others operated by community groups including town and community councils with the majority, nearly 40, operated by the county council. Nearly 30 private facilities are also open to the public thanks to a Welsh Government community toilet grant scheme.

Councillor Barry Thomas, Cabinet Member for Environment said: "The combination of public, private and community support has supported a network of public facilities in the county. We are planning to build on that partnership work and maintain this important service despite severe financial pressures.

"We are committed to providing public facilities alongside or near to trunk roads in the county until the end of the financial year and provide a new grant to private companies to open their facilities to the public.

"In the past we have successfully transferred facilities to community groups and are looking to extend that scheme for the remaining 38 toilets directly managed by the county council. Groups taking on the facilities would receive a council grant for the service. 

"If community groups are not interested in managing the facilities then unfortunately the council will be forced to close them at the end of October. If there is no interest after that date the facilities will be declared surplus by March 2014."

* Anyone who has any ideas or comments about keeping the Crickhowell lavatories open is asked to email [email protected]">[email protected] as soon as possible.