PUBLIC toilets closed by Ryedale District Council to save money should be re-opened and cash spent on buying a street sweeper.
The plea came from councillors during a four-hour meeting when members discussed next year's budget, in which the authority is likely to agree an increase for 2006-7 of 2.5 per cent - one of the lowest in the country.
Councillor Elizabeth Shields advocated spending £58,000 on refurbishing the Wentworth Street toilets, in Malton, and upgrading others because of the increasing number of visitors to the district.
Councillor Howard Keal said £25,000 should be spent on providing a mechanical street sweeper. He said: "The state of our pavements is far from good, especially in Malton and Norton, being covered with leaves in winter and dust in summer."
The chairman, Councillor Lindsay Burr, said the budget would be discussed in detail by the council's policy and resources committee on February 2, prior to the full council meeting on February 16.
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