COSTS amounting to nearly £250,000 for new public toilets in Wellington have certainly left some councillors nervously looking at the sums.

Wellington Town Council last week agreed to go-ahead with a replacement toilet block in Longforth Road with an estimated price tag of £238,205.

But Cllr Sean Pringle-Kosikowsky said: "The building costs are like the cost of a house!"

Cllr Sue Fox added: "We do need to be careful over what we spend, although I can see both sides of the argument on this."

Although there was a general opinion that the toilets were needed, the costs involved were described as "scary" by Cllr Andy Govier.

The situation has been clouded by the fact that the town council will be taking on the toilets in Wellington Park and could also take responsibility of the public toilets in the North Street car park as well which will all cost money.

The Mayor, Cllr Janet Lloyd, said: "The toilets in North Street have been a mess and they still are a mess and belong to Somerset Council.

"My view is that we shouldn't take them on if we go-ahead with the rebuilding of the toilets in Longforth Road."

Cllr Mark Lithgow said: "People will need a public toilet there in Longforth Road.

"We have an amazing park and there are up to around 600 people there every Sunday in the summer and so we need a toilet there as well.

"But I’m not bothered too much about the toilets in North Street."

Cllr Lithgow said he thought the £238,205 costs for the new toilets in Longforth Road were"value for money."

"It's in the right place and we need them there," he said.

Toilet expert Piers Dibben, of Healthmatic, told councillors that there were toilets available for people to use in the town centre area in cafes and pubs.

But he added: "Not everyone is confident enough to go into a coffee shop and ask if they can use the toilet."

Cllr Lithgow quipped: "Couldn't we make the toilets on wheels so we could wheel them around the town to where they are needed?"