PUBLIC toilets closed in April last year will never reopen, councillors have been told.

Proposals have been put forward for alternative uses for 10 toilets around Weymouth and Portland that were shut down due to a lack of money to bring them up to date with new disabled access laws.

Coun Jim Churchouse, chairman of Weymouth and Portland Borough Council's environment and conservation committee, said whatever happened to the buildings, they would not be reopened by the council for use as public toilets.

He said: "They were closed for a reason - that it would cost thousands of pounds to give them disabled access - which we must do by October this year - and we couldn't afford that."

Coun Tim Munro argued that the buildings should be kept by the council until enough money could be spared to reopen them but Richard Burgess, director of environmental services, said: "These are corporate buildings and as such we can't keep them in the state of disrepair they are currently in. Some of them are practically derelict. We either have to sell them or demolish them."

Mr Burgess added that if the buildings were demolished it was unlikely that new toilets would be built in their place as selling them would raise only a few thousand pounds and building new toilets could cost up to £100,000.

Coun Hazel Priest said: "We have to get best value out of our buildings."

Simon Bowkett, chairman of the Littlemoor Action Group, appealed for the toilets at Littlemoor Shopping Centre to be reopened for the sake of parents with toddlers.

Mr Burgess said an offer had been made for freehold acquisition of the whole site and, while it wasn't the council's decision, a letter could be sent asking for the public toilets to be reinstated at the site.

Councillors agreed proposed usages including turning the Church Street, Upwey, toilets into a store for Upwey Wishing Well and a public convenience at the expense of whoever took it on and using the Nothe Walk toilets as a changing room and shower for Weymouth Rowing Club.