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Contact details: 01484 420800 September 2014
Town’s public toilets saved from closure By Josh Timlin HOLMFIRTH'S public toilets have been saved from closure. The toilets – which were set to close on October 1 – will now remain open for the foreseeable future thanks to Holme Valley Parish Council’s intervention. Kirklees Council, which outlined plans to close 11 of its attended toilets across the district, said voluntary or community organisations would have to step in to safeguard their future. The decision to axe the funding for public toilets was made at full council earlier this year as the authority faced having to
“They are well used and we will ensure that they are clean,welcoming and available for people to use.” agree cuts totalling £21million. Toilets in Holme, Honley and New Mill have already been given the chop, helping to save the council £151,000 each year. Holmfirth’s toilets – which are thought to be used by 40,000 people per year – generate around £6,000 in income. Coun Greg Christofi said: “They needed to be saved, and I am glad that the parish council has
stepped in to save them from closure. “They are well used and we will ensure that they are clean, welcoming and available for people to use.” Coun David Sheard, leader of Kirklees Council, said: “Budget cuts are increasingly forcing difficult decisions on us. “We delayed the closure of public toilets for 12 months so that interested community groups or
organisations had the opportunity to come forward with their own proposals to keep toilets open.” It is thought several local groups were interested in keeping the town’s toilets open – described as an “important” feature for the town’s visitors by Coun Christofi – before the parish council were given the green light. A Kirklees Council spokesperson confirmed that they will stop running Holmfirth’s attended toilets on September 30 and that they are currently working with the Holme Valley Parish Council to hand over the running by the end of the month.
Fundraising brothers Adrian and Bob Spencer completed Scotland’s toughest one-day endurance challenge in 14 hours. The pair, from Holmfirth, took on a swim in Loch Tay’s cold waters, a 16-mile run, a seven-mile kayak and a 34-mile cycle route to cross the finish line. Full story on page 7
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