A community toilet scheme has been branded a ‘failure’ after enlisting only ONE volunteer in EIGHT months, the Observer can reveal.

Councillors in Great Harwood launched the project back in March following the closure of public toilets in the town.

Under the scheme, shops, pubs and cafes were asked to display a special sticker and allow members of the public to use their facilities without needing to make a purchase.

However only Churchfield House in Great Harwood – who helped launch the scheme - offered to make their toilet facilities freely available.

Resident Ian Wilkinson said it was ‘no surprise’ that businesses in the area didn’t sign up.

He said: “I’m not surprised at all. You are not going to get shopkeepers or even big places like Tesco doing it.

“I don’t think in principle that shops should be expected to provide such facilities except for their customers. It should be the local authority who need to accept the need for such amenities. I think it’s terrible really.

“When people visit a place the first things they look for are free parking and public toilets.”

Mr Wilkinson said money should be set aside from future planning contributions from any housing development on Lyndon Playing Fields to build and maintain a public toilet.

Former councillor Ian Robinson, who is a member of the Community Action Group, said: “It was doomed to failure from the very beginning. People said to me before it started it will never work and none of the shops would take it up

“If the council were to build a public toilet then the community would look after them. There will be funding available from places like the Lottery.”

Ward councillor Kerry Molineux, who helped launch the scheme, said there were ‘several reasons’ why the scheme hasn’t worked and they will consider whether to re-launch it in the future.

She said: “Perhaps it wasn’t advertised enough and the shops might not necessarily have the right facilities.

“It is definitely something we are going to revisit and see if we want to re-launch it.

“It might be that we focus on public buildings like the library, Mercer Baths, the Chambers in the short-term and then move onto other places.

“It’s a good idea in principle.”