COMMUNITY groups hoping to spend a penny on public loos throughout the Scottish Borders will have to hold on a little longer.

Peebles Community Trust entered into talks with council officers in hope of a takeover of the School Brae toilets.

The loos are frequently targeted by vandals but community leaders feel the public facilities located just off the main High Street, are vital for residents and visitors.

Although plans to adopt the management and income of the toilets haven’t entirely been flushed down the pan, the Community Trust has been told nothing can progress until the council completes its region-wide review of conveniences.

Chairman Lawrie Hayworth said: “The Peebles Community Trust opened up a conversation with one of the officers at SBC, Neil Pringle.

"He said there was quite a lot of data available and made a commitment to provide it. We chased it up and the latest feedback is that he doesn’t feel able to provide any information until the council completes its review and tells us what it’s doing.

“This is perhaps not the way a councillor would’ve expressed it, but essentially we were going to be told what the council is doing.”

Private companies are being approached for quotations to take on the cleaning and maintenance of public facilities throughout the Scottish Borders.

Mr Hayworth added: “It is on the basis the private companies would charge SBC rather than have the revenue from it. The quotation had only come from one company and it wasn’t hugely competitive as perceived as to the cost perhaps in equivalent councils in other parts of Scotland.

“I’m not sure where that review is at, but I was told it’s nearing completion. We were a little unhappy that we weren’t engaged in that process and that we were going to be told what the council is doing.”

Tweeddale Councillor Robin Tatler said that “something was imminent” in terms of officers proposals which would come before the council for consideration soon.

In the meantime vandals have struck again and broken the coin mechanism on the doors of the School Brae toilets.

This prompted the question over why the council rejected plans to invest in new CCTV across the region.

But Mr Hayworth said: “Should the Community Trust be able to help deliver the public toilets we have some cunning plans in that yard.

“Where the council officer perhaps got a little ahead of the curve was that the officers will be making a recommendation to councillors. And then councillors at that point will decide whether to follow the recommendation that’s given or, engage to see whether there are other routes with communities.”