MP and MS 'optimistic' that town's public toilets will stay

* The Market Street public toilets. 

Llangollen’s Member of the Senedd and MP say they have stressed the need for Denbighshire County Council to explore all options to keep the town’s toilets open. 

Ken Skates and Becky Gittins have held a number of meetings with senior figures at the authority and say they "remain optimistic" that the public conveniences on Market Street won’t close. 

The county council needs to find £10.4m of savings as part of its 2024/25 budget, and a proposal to review public toilets across the county was one of the potential savings identified. A public consultation was launched to allow residents, business owners and visitors to have their say. 

Both Mr Skates and Mrs Gittins have been contacted by Llangollen residents and visitors to the town, but the council has repeatedly reassured the community that no decisions have been made. 

Clwyd South MS Mr Skates said: “Becky and I have met with Denbighshire County Council a number of times to discuss the need for options to be developed and considered. We have said previously that we want to leave no stone unturned, and that hasn’t changed. We want to help find a way to keep the public toilets in Llangollen open.” 

Mrs Gittins, who was elected as the new MP for Clwyd East in July, attended the public meeting in Llangollen Town Hall earlier this year. 

She said: “Our meetings with the council have been productive and we remain optimistic. We are still keen to meet with town councillors as well, as they clearly have an important role to play. 

“The county council’s aim throughout this process has been to work with the town council and the community, and they’ve been meeting with town and community councils throughout the county where areas have public toilets to try to find solutions. We have stressed the need for all options to be explored, and I think everyone’s on the same page.”

The issue is now due be be discussed at Denbighshire’s scrutiny committee meeting in December.

In a recent email to Mr Skates and Mrs Gittins, Denbighshire's Head of Highways & Environmental Services, Paul Jackson, said: “Again, I must be clear, no decision has been made on this issue and we are still working through options and going through democratic processes.”