A council has not decided whether to reopen a toilet block despite spending thousands winning planning permission to refurbish it.

Halstead Town Council has spent up to £4,000 to survey the toilet block in Chapel Street car park, create drawings and prepare tender documents but has yet to decide how to proceed.

The refurbishment plans approved by Braintree Council include two new doors for purpose-built disabled toilets and for baby-changing facilities.

Town council clerk Mike Murkin said: “When we get the tenders in to see how much it will cost, that’s when councillors will decide what to do.

“I have no idea what the quotations will be.

“We have got to get to this stage to consider how we will proceed, it is expensive.”

The toilets, which closed in 2005 as a cost-cutting measure, came back on to the council’s agenda last year following requests from residents.