COUNCILLORS from Hay-on-Wye, are hoping that Powys County Council (PCC) will speak to them before the public toilets there are returned to PCC.

At a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, March 5, a delegation from Hay-on-Wye Town Council (HTC), headed by Mayor, Cllr Trudy Stedman, handed a 1,350 signature petition over to PCC Leader Rosemarie Harris (Independent – Llangynidr).

HTC also gave Asset Portfolio Holder, Cllr Phyl Davies (Conservative – Blaen Hafren), a letter indicating formally that the toilets in Hay will pass back to PCC responsibility on April 1.

Back in December 2018, the cabinet took the decision to change an asset transfer deal between PCC and HTC that had been done by a previous administration nearly four years ago.

Since then, a public meeting was held in Hay on February 13 which led to the petition.

Mayor, Cllr Trudy Stedman, hopes that talks will take place before the toilets are returned on, April 1.

At the Cabinet meeting, Council Leader Cllr Rosemarie Harris said: “It’s always nice to see people even if it is just presenting petitions and grumbling at us.”

Cllr Stedman said: “We still haven't been notified formally of those decisions.

“We found ourselves at a point where we have to take matters into our own hands so this is the petition from the public and the letter that goes with it.

“The petition is the feeling of the people in the town.”

Cllr Harris said: “Thank you, we will give it (petition) every consideration, obviously we can’t have a debate here and now but we will continue talking.”

Cllr Stedman speaking to the Local Democracy Service after handing the petition in, said: “Everything is up in the air.

“Without a formal notification of the decision taken last December we can’t move forward.

“Regrettably we have given a letter which hands responsibility for the toilets back to PCC. We do not want to see them closed.

“We are hoping that we will be able to discuss things with PCC before April 1.”

The issue stems from a decision taken by cabinet on Tuesday, December 18.

Then, councillors voted in favour  to change parts of a deal made to transfer:

Public toilets on Oxford Road and at the Clock Tower.

Recreation Ground and Sports Pavilion.

District Council Offices on Broad Street.

The changes are now:

A long term lease with HTC solely responsible for all toilet running costs.

Or – hand the toilets back to PCC under the understanding that there are no guarantees that they are kept open.

There will be a leasehold Community Asset Transfer of the land and buildings of the Recreation Ground and Sports Pavilion, including maintenance and repair, for 99 years.

Allow HTC to sub-lease part of the land to Hay Bowls Club.

HTC given 12 months notice to terminate the existing lease on the District Council Office .

Cabinet members explained at that meeting that the deal had to be changed as: “We have moved a long way financially from where we were and we have to do what is right and offer the same to each and every community across the board.”