ILKLEY ratepayers are being asked if they would be willing to contribute more to keep the town's public toilets open in the midst of massive cutbacks.

Around 400 households are being asked their views on an increase in the precept in the face of Bradford Council's plans to slash £82 million from its budget.

Ilkley ward councillor Anne Hawkesworth is warning that the parish council needs to be brave if it is to safeguard important local amenities such as the toilets and public gardens.

Last week it was revealed that swingeing cuts were on the way throughout the district as Bradford council revealed a "very grim" package of proposals in a bid to make savings over the next two years.

The council warned that cuts would affect care for the elderly and disabled, as well as libraries, public toilets, street lighting and community halls.

Under the budget proposals both the Riverside toilets in Ilkley and toilets situated in the South Hawksworth Street car park would close, saving annual running costs to the Council of £9,000 and £35,900 respectively.

Cllr Hawkesworth spoke out about the issue at a meeting of Ilkley Parish Council on Monday, hours before the the proposals were to be discussed at Bradford's Executive meeting the following day.

She stressed: "I think people in this room should be aware these cuts are looming."

Cllr Mike Gibbons said: "I know there has been much talk in the town about the closure of public lavatories and I think we need to fight this."

He argued that Ilkley raised a lot of money for Bradford Council's coffers and he said the loss of the car park toilets would be "ridiculous". The town had a lot of visitors, and the least they could expect were some facilities when they arrived, he said.

After the meeting Cllr Hawkesworth said: "I think the parish council are going to have to be very brave in the next few weeks and really get their heads round how they can resolve the lack of funding.

"I have sent out letters to about 400 residents asking what their views are about whether they would be happy to pay more if it meant they could keep certain things, like the gardens and the toilets - and all these things that we are going to lose because there won't be the funding for them."

Cllr Hawkesworth is asking local people to say whether they would be willing to see an increase in the precept - the parish council's share of the council tax.

She urged Ilkley Parish Council to start discussing the cuts, and she criticised the lack of discussion at Monday's meeting.

"It seems absolutely laughable when there are all these things happening, but when there was a parish council meeting if I hadn't mentioned it, it wouldn't have been mentioned," she said.

The proposals will go out to public consultation before being finalised next year. Councillor Sarah Ferriby, Bradford Council’s executive member for the Environment, said: “Although the council will no longer be able to fund these toilets it is hoped Parish (Town) Councils, voluntary organisations or other community groups may come forward to take them on and keep them open.”