AFTER a public consultation last year by Mid Devon District Council it was decided that no changes would be made to Crediton's public toilets during this financial year. However, now it appears that the town could lose the toilets on The Green. At its meeting on Tuesday, Crediton Town Council's finance and general purposes committee heard that a district council Cabinet member had decided this should be done, without any further consultation. District council member, Cllr Bob Wright, told the committee that in March the district council's Managing the Environment Policy Development Group had discussed the issue of possible toilet closures throughout the district, Committee members were of the opinion that there would be further consultation and that the matter would then come back to them to make a final decision. He said he had only found out about the intended closure "by accident" when he had been told these toilets were to be locked after June 1. Since then he had managed to get a reprieve until September 1. He asked if the town council had any ideas as to how to find the £4,000 needed to save the toilets on The Green. "We do not want to lose any of the town's public toilets," said Cllr Wright. Town clerk, Mrs Clare Dalley, said she had met with a district council officer and also been told that unless the town council could find the money, the toilets would close in September. She warned that the partnership toilet, supported by the district council at the Old Town Hall, was being looked at as well. There was also a possibility the public toilets on Union Road, known as the Newcombes Meadow toilets, could have its opening hours reduced. Mrs Dalley added that Tiverton Town Council was heavily subsidising some of that town's public toilets from June 1 but Crediton Town Council "did not have that kind of money." Cllr Wright said there had been an idea to close the Newcombes Meadow toilets through the winter, which was why he had asked the district council if those on The Green could stay open. He felt those in the Old Town Hall were not used much because people were not aware they were there but which public toilet might the town council feel could be "sacrificed"? Committee chairman, Cllr Joyce Harris, said she knew those at Newcombes Meadow were well used by passing motorists. There was discussion on possibly saving more than £1,000 by shutting Newcombes Meadow through the winter, plus a further saving of more than £1,000 if the Old Town Hall partnership ended. Cllr Wright commented that this had come about because one Cabinet member had made a decision regardless of the views of the other 41 members. The town clerk added that until she had met with the council officer, no-one had told the town council about its plan. Cllr Frank Letch wanted a written statement from the district council, listing the proposals, so that the town council had something to look at to be able to discuss further. Cllr Richard Adams wanted to know if The Green toilet building would be "mothballed," so that it could be re-opened at some future time. He was told, however, that this could become a storage facility for the district council at some stage.