A PETITION to the council might help open locked toilets in Galashiels, a meeting has heard.

All public loos across the Borders were closed by the local authority at the start of the coronavirus pandemic, with 14 yet to reopen.

Among those still shut are Galashiels facilities in Bank Street Gardens and the High Street car park.

At a meeting last week, community councillor Bill White said that around 1,500 people were in the town for Gala Day this year and faced long queues to use the toilets in the volunteer hall.

“In Galashiels if a bus load of people come in, what is the first thing they’re looking for? A public toilet,” he said. “You would’ve made a fortune on those toilets if it was 50p.”

Galashiels councillor Fay Sinclair, of the SNP, told the meeting that Scottish Borders Council (SBC) said it had no budget to reopen the loos.

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“It was raised again at full council and we were told they will look at it as part of the Budget,” she said. “I’m bringing it up repeatedly. I don’t see any movement on it before the Budget.

“A petition into SBC might be helpful. That would require a member of the public to submit that. That would get a full hearing and for the council to respond.”

The Budget for 2022-23 was approved in February.

Ms Sinclair said the local authority “is aware of what the public feeling is” around the opening of public toilets.

Fellow Galashiels councillor Neil Mackinnon, of the Greens, added: “It’s an issue and concern across the Borders so there needs to be something done in the Budget this year to address it.”

Ms Sinclair told the meeting that she had a meeting planned this week with SBC director of infrastructure and environment John Curry to discuss the toilets.

She added: “The lights are still on so if it’s a money saving thing why are they keeping the lights on in closed toilets?”

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Community council chairwoman Judith Cleghorn said the town “needed answers” on the closures.

Members of the public Dougie Johnston, who helped to organise Galashiels Walking Festival in September, said businesses in the town were losing out due to the lack of public toilets.

On reopening the loos, he said: “It’s a bit of a no-brainer in a place like Galashiels with the Tapestry. A lot of people are on the walks and there’s nowhere to go to the toilet.

“Coach drivers won’t stop in Galashiels, they’ll just go somewhere like Melrose. The knock-on effect is that the cafés and the Tapestry building aren’t getting the money in their tills.”

Ms Sinclair said she would feed what she had heard back to Mr Curry at their meeting.

Back in September a council spokesperson said: “SBC has 41 public toilets distributed across 29 settlements and communities. Fourteen of these remain closed following the pandemic.

“All disabled toilets are open. There are no current plans to reopen these 14 facilities however officers are keeping this under review.”