HOPES that West Dorset Council would back a joint initiative to save Bridport's Town Hall toilets have apparently been dashed.

District Services Manager Jerry Cranmer has ruled out any possibility of them continuing to maintain the loos - even with funding provided by the town council which owns the building.

He says they are sub standard and would cost too much to put right.

The town council was flushed with optimism when it's Ad Hoc working party met with Mr Cranmer last month to discuss a possible compromise.

West Dorset MP Oliver Letwin shared their confidence and said he was certain a way could be found to save the loos despite the district council's decision to withdraw funding from next year.

But in a letter to town clerk Ron Gregory, Mr Cranmer says the toilets are in "an unacceptable condition" and have no disabled facilities.

In view of the town council's long term plans to redevelop the town hall and eventually do away with the loos, spending money on them now would be "excessively wasteful", he said.

Mr Cranmer pointed out that they operated two other public conveniences within walking distance, both in a better condition.

And he ruled out suggestions that the town council could pay the district to continue maintaining the town hall toilets, saying they did not want to be associated with a "sub standard facility".

But he added that the district council would have no objection to the town council operating the town hall toilets themselves.

Bridport town and district councillor David Tett said he read Mr Cranmer's letter with "complete disillusionment".

He said he had first raised the issue of the toilets' closure in June when he had found very little, if any, support from other councillors.

But after helping to get the decision to close them "called in" by the district council's Ad Hoc committee he felt quietly optimistic - even though they ratified the plan to withdraw funding.

He had believed that "meaningful dialogue with the town council would continue to resolve the future of the toilets."

Coun Tett said he was also disappointed that despite asking specifically to be involved in these talks he was neither invited to nor notified about the August 24 meeting between the district and town councils.

Added Coun Tett: "I find it exceedingly difficult to fulfil my duties as a councillor and represent the people of Bridport who elected me when being treated in this manner and kept in the dark."

But Dr Letwin was less pessimistic about Mr Cranmer's response to that meeting.

He told The News: "I have talked with Robert Gould the Leader of the district council and remain convinced that what we are seeing at the moment is the normal process of negotiations and that once the two councils have competed these negotiations we will end up with the town hall toilets in place.

"I expect that this will be resolved in some sort of sensible way."