Thousands of pounds of taxpayers money is being spent on deciding whether reopening public toilets can go ahead.

Halstead Town Council are looking at a bill of up to £4,000 for surveying the toilet block in Chapel Street car park, creating building regulation drawings and preparing tender documents.

The work is being carried out by Duncan Clark & Beckett chartered architects.

At a full council meeting last week, town councillors decided to spend an extra £300 to submit a planning application on the architect’s behalf in order to create new doors on the external walls of the toilet block.

Town clerk Mike Murkin said: “We are getting up to the tender stage but we need to get planning consent before that goes ahead."

See this week's Halstead Gazette for the full story.