Cornwall Council is hoping entrepreneurs will be left feeling flush as it attempts to encourage new businesses based around public toilets.

In what it is billing as search for "creative ways" to keep public toilets open by "funding them in a different way", the council is attempting to work with town and parish councils to find businesses which could financially support conveniences which would otherwise close.

Last year members agreed the decision to end Cornwall Council funding for running public toilets from 
April 1 2016, as part of a budget which needed to find savings of £196m as a result of reductions in Government funding.

Since then a number of facilities have been devolved to town and parish councils and others have been transferred back to private landowners. The authority is now organising a large-scale tender called ‘Your Convenience,’ which seeks to attract bids to help secure the public toilet provision at over 40 public conveniences across Cornwall.

These toilet blocks are located in well-known locations such as Padstow, the Camel Trail and Praa Sands. 

Interested parties are being offered the opportunity to take on a lease of a public toilet to use as a commercial business, with a requirement to continue to provide toilet access as a condition of the lease.

The council's plan is based on businesses using part of the existing building or land next to or near to the toilets for a wide variety of commercial uses, such as cafes, recreational activities or even holiday lets.

Cornwall Council’s portfolio holder for Housing and the Environment, Joyce Duffin, said: “In light of the significant savings that the council has to find we have had to investigate alternative ways of keeping public toilets open for both our residents and, as one of the country’s top tourist destinations, for visitors to Cornwall.

“Some town and parish councils have taken over the running of the toilets in their community and we’ve been encouraged by those businesses who have opened their facilities to the public as ‘community toilets’.

“Now, with the end of funding for toilets approaching in April 2016, we are offering the opportunity for an individual or business to rent the remaining buildings while still providing a toilet facility for the public.

“We believe this is the best solution to reach our savings targets while ensuring the Council does what it can to keep toilet provision open across Cornwall.”

Cornwall Council officers have contacted town and parish councils about the tender process and signboards will soon be installed on the relevant properties. An advert will also appear in the Estates Gazette in early May. 

Consultation is on-going with town and parish councils.

It is expected that final decisions on the future of the toilets will be made in the summer of 2015.