MORE THAN 1,000 people are demanding that the public toilets in Silsden are reopened.

Townswoman Lily Pitt has gathered 1,100 signatures on a petition objecting to last month’s closure of the block in Briggate.

She wants either Bradford or Silsden council to take on responsibility for the toilets despite ongoing public spending cuts.

She said the toilets were vital for many people, including parents taking children to the nearby park, adults with health problems and passing motorists.

She said: “There are events in the park in summer and they need toilets. Parents don’t like their children having to crouch down in the bushes.

“There are a lot of elderly people who tend to need toilets more often than others.

“Local people have a whole range of awful painful illnesses. The sufferers need to know that facilities will be available in Silsden for them to be able to enjoy outside life.”

The Silsden toilets have been maintained by Bradford Council for many years but were closed on April 7, as part of measures to save the council millions of pounds on its annual budget.

In some areas other organisations have taken on responsibility for running toilets, but Silsden Town Council turned down an offer from City Hall.

Ms Pitt said her petition had attracted hundreds of signatures from people disgusted at the closure of the toilets, which are in the car park of the Punch Bowl pub.

She added: “The range of visitors who have signed the petition has covered delivery drivers, hiking groups, cyclists, shoppers and people passing through on canal boats.”

Ms Pitt plan to complete her petition this week and hand it to the appropriate authorities.

District and town councillor Adrian Naylor said: “Silsden Town Council investigated the possibility of keeping them open, but it rapidly became clear that there would be significant overheads."

Cllr Naylor said the council would have to pay Bradford more than £1,000 a year business rates for toilets, as well as funding repairs to the roof, and work to bring windows and doors to standard.

Silsden mayor Chris Atkinson estimated the cost of repairs might have topped £30,000, and the running costs included the battery of health checks every week.

He added: “We added up the cost to £4,000 a year before we started paying for a cleaner. We said we weren’t going to burden the ratepayer.

“There’s a perfectly good town hall nearby. Why don’t Bradford Council let people use those toilets?”