Loos and tourist information offices are to be offered to town and parish councils in West Dorset – but with only limited funding to support them into the future.

Payments are also being offered to bring the facilities up to a reasonable standard – but there will then only be two years limited financial support.

In many cases the loos will only be offered on a leasehold basis with an agreement allowing the new Dorset Council to sell off the sites in the future.

Shortfalls in limited funding from the district council will mean town and parish councils which decided to take over the facilities having to either reduce costs, increase income (by charging), or increase the precept (share of the council tax) on local residents.

A report to the August 20 meeting of the district council strategy committee says: “Public conveniences make a valuable contribution to the economy particularly in a tourist area, and therefore may prove difficult to close. This programme is intended to reduce the risk to critical local services by moving to another local council.”

The statement is an admission that the new Dorset Council when it comes into being next April will not want to operate public toilets. It acknowledges that if town and parish councils decided not to take on the toilets some may close.

The Dorset Association of Town and Parish Council has argued that if its members are to shoulder additional services they will need extra income to do so and should also be handed income-generating car parks to pay for what they do.

But district councillors are being told that car parks, with limited exceptions, be excluded from transfer to town and parish councils – because the new Dorset Council will need the income from them to provide services.

A report to councillors concludes: “Car parks also provide a potentially significant capital source in the event of future development. Where a car park has been considered for transfer it has been small scale but appropriate to support the devolution programme and is only available on a leasehold basis to preserve the capital value.”

In all up to 26 public loos across West Dorset are being suggested for transfer to town and parish councils with a payment of £328,000 to support them for up to two years and £538,000 as a once-off payment for refurbishment work.

Even after the payments the town and parish councils, if they take on the toilets, will need to find an extra £210,000 over the two year period.

For Bridport this would mean getting a refurbishment contribution of £98,000 and a two-year cash contribution of £64,000 from West Dorset District Council leaving the town council to find £32,000 a year.

Public toilet transfers in Dorchester have not yet been fully calculated while talks continue over the future of the town’s market and the tourist information office.

For the parishes across West Dorset £160,000 would be given for refurbishment plus a two-year contribution of £96,7000 leaving £48,300 a year extra to be found.

Both Dorchester town council and Sherborne town councils have so far declined to take over tourist information offices in their respective towns although Lyme Regis town council has agreed to do so.

Other areas which may be looked at for transfers before local government reorganisation next year include street cleaning, discretionary grants and town centre economic development.