Council assesses public toilet payment popularity

Aberdeenshire residents are being asked whether they would be willing to pay a small fee to use the area's public toilets.

There is no legal obligation for local authorities to provide public conveniences, but Aberdeenshire Council said it recognised how important they were to everyday life.

It has launched a public survey as it considers the future of the service.

It said no decisions had been made but the responses would inform councillors as they plan for the future. The survey runs until 11 July.

The council looks after 70 toilets across Aberdeenshire, directly cleaning and maintaining 49 of them.

Another 11 are part of a community-run scheme where local groups handle daily operations.

Ten are provided through a "comfort partnership" scheme, with businesses offering free public access to their facilities, in exchange for a grant and promotion.

With budgets tight, the council wants to know the public's views on the number of loos, their opening hours, how they are maintained and whether people would consider paying a small fee to use them.