Councillors have begun moves to reopen public toilets at Harlow Hill in Harrogate.

Liberal Democrat-controlled Harrogate Town Council voted unanimously last night (September 2) to write to North Yorkshire Council to investigate the possibility and viability of reinstating the public conveniences on the recreational ground.

Conservative-run North Yorkshire Council has announced plans to cut back on toilets and introduce entry fees on the loss-making service, so it is unsure how the idea would be funded.

Nevertheless, the first steps towards exploring the option have begun.

Councillor Graham Dixon, a Liberal Democrat who represents Harlow, raised the subject last night.

The existing toilets are believed to have closed more than a decade ago and are currently fenced off.

Cllr Dixon said they had “suffered the normal fate of public toilets" by being vandalised and were currently in a “smashed up” state. He said people continued to use them as toilets after they closed, until they were fenced off.

He suggested setting up a working group to look into the matter. However, councillors eventually agreed to start by writing to North Yorkshire Council to ascertain its plans for the facilities and its thoughts on the proposal to bring them back to use.

The town council will await a response before deciding whether to pursue the idea.