A SOLUTION to Richmond's toilet crisis may have been found by the town council - provided the figures add up.

At Monday's meeting, members unanimously agreed to send district councillor Paul Cullen's proposal to save Richmond's market place toilets to the town council resource committee on May 9.

It will decide under delegated powers whether the council should take on the responsibility.

The district council, which shut the men's and women's toilets at the start of the month, claims the move will save £29,000 a year.

Coun Cullen's figures, taken from information supplied by district council officers, estimate that running the toilets will cost less than half that figure.

At the meeting, Philip Wicks, who owns Castle Bookshop in the town and is chairman of Richmond Tourism and Business Association, said: "I have been speaking with a few traders who are saying that trade is down. There is a strong perception of belief that closure of those toilets is having a detrimental effect on business in town.

"People will stop coming and it is urgent that we do something about this and not wait until the end of the summer when it is too late."

Deputy mayor Clive World, who proposed sending the figures to the resources committee for examination, said the council needed to be sure of the costs involved before agreeing to anything.

But some councillors were concerned that May 9 would be too long to wait.

Coun Tom Burrows said: "Time is against us - the tourists are coming. We have the first May bank holiday this week and another at the end of May. Without those toilets, we are going to be in difficulties. We must act quickly, not slowly."

Coun World pointed out that the town council would need to come to a lease arrangement with the district council before reopening the toilets, as the women's toilet is owned by the district council.

"We need to get all the information, all the facts," he said.

Coun Mike McGarry said in support: "The district council, as far as I am concerned, has reneged on providing facilities for Richmond and we need to do something about it."

It was unanimously agreed to send the figures for inspection to the resource committee on May 9 and members unanimously condemned Richmondshire District Council's decision to close the facilities earlier this month.