A VILLAGE’S public toilets could be saved after parish councillors voted to keep them open in the face of North Somerset Council cuts.

The unitary authority announced it is looking to close the public toilets in Coronation Road in the centre of Bleadon by April 2013 as part of budget reductions.

It would leave the village with no public toilets, a move which could impact on visitors during village events, car park and play area users and those attending the nearby church.

A report in the Bleadon Village News magazine said: “Opinion surveys conducted by the parish council over the past 10 years suggest that conveniences are valued by the community and most villagers would not like to see them closed.”

Bleadon Parish Council owns the land surrounding the toilets, which means there is a chance it could take over the facility as well as ownership of the building if North Somerset Council agrees to a hand-over.

Other options include selling the toilets to a business to operate for a profit or asking retailers in the village to offer their toilets free of charge as an alternative.

Parish council clerk Bruce Poole said the body is currently in talks with North Somerset to find out what will happen next.

He said: “The toilets are important because there are no public facilities in the youth centre or the church.

“North Somerset Council is trying to get rid of its responsibilities but we hope to be able to take it on.”