A LONG-RUNNING saga over where to site a town's toilets has finally ended after plans were unveiled to build a "superloo."

The 22-year battle to agree on a new place to spend a penny in Northallerton has seen a series of proposals rejected by planners, shoppers and business leaders in the town.

In 1998, the underground toilets next to the town hall were closed due to their dangerous structure - but plans to rebuild on the same site have repeatedly been blocked.

Now a suitable site has been agreed by members of Hambleton District Council, which favours demolishing the Applegarth toilets to develop a superloo on the same site.

The closed underground toilets in High Street will be demolished and paved over.

The superloo will see the Applegarth toilets redeveloped and extended to provide toilets for the disabled and baby changing facilities.

Environmental health and housing committee chairman, councillor Percy Featherstone, said all attempts to find a suitable proposal to build toilets in the High Street had proved fruitless.

He said: "It is clear from all our public consultation exercises on this issue that there is a need for two toilet blocks, in the town centre. We have tried and failed to find a site in the High Street. We now believe that the best option is to redevelop the Applegarth toilets."

But opponents to the scheme said it would leave Northallerton without High Street toilets, despite an assurance by council officers that the nearby 24-hour Tesco store would have public conveniences.

Councillor John Coulson said: "We didn't get many complaints about the existing toilets near the town hall but I am getting complaints that there are no longer any toilets in the High Street."

Hambleton District Council's planning committee has agreed that £76,500 allocated for new High Street toilets, and £34,000 earmarked for refurbishment of those in the Applegarth, should be combined to pay for the superloo. It could be open by this time next year