Public toilets

A substantial majority wanted to see them re-opened.

In better times, I would have agreed with your readers. To appreciate the situation the borough council finds itself in, however, the question could be better framed as: “What should the council fund - town centre toilets or your elderly relative’s care package?”

Any number of examples could be substituted, including the protection of abused children, services for disabled people or other vulnerable adults.

As your paper has consistently reported since 2010, the Coalition Government has taken more money from local authorities than any other area of spending, and councils in the North-East have been hit most savagely.

Here in Darlington, £22m has already been saved, with a further package of £13m to be found by 2016/17.

Despite working hard to save money, like other local councils, Darlington is fast finding it difficult to find the money for those services it has to provide by law - such as those examples given above.

It’s why areas of spend like the public toilets have had to be closed - because there simply isn’t the money to keep them open.

The Dolphin Centre toilets can, of course, be used by the public - they are available for far longer hours than the market toilets ever were; are free (no 20p charge); and are not plagued with anti-social behaviour.

We are working to ensure they are better signposted, so people should never be “caught short” in the town centre.

Councillor Nick Wallis, Darlington.