A DECISION on whether to build new public toilets in Northallerton High Street should be deferred until the results of a wider town centre study are known, according to council officers.

They are recommending, however, that the closed underground toilets in the High Street should be urgently demolished and filled in at an estimated cost of £5,000 because the roof is becoming weaker and could collapse at any time.

Hambleton environmental health committee will be asked on Thursday to endorse this move, to surrender for other uses money set aside for replacement toilets in this year's capital programme and to make a new bid for cash in 2001-02.

Mr Eric Kendall, head of environmental health, says councillors have already ruled out the option of repairing the present underground toilets.

Another option has been to fill in the existing toilets and build a new set on the same site, with a bus pull-in.

A third option considered in a feasibility study is to fill in the present toilets but not to build any replacements. The council would rely on the existing Applegarth toilets and those in the redesigned Tesco store as well as in local shops and pubs.

Recommending this option to the committee, Mr Kendall says: "This will allow the outcomes of the town centre study, which includes a review of retailing opportunities in Northallerton, to be taken into account before a final decision is made on whether an additional set of public conveniences are required and where they should be positioned.

"The disadvantage with this option is that there would be only one set of public conveniences in Northallerton, at the Applegarth car park, during this time."

Mr Kendall says consultations on the town centre study may start in the autumn and, if agreement is reached, time will be needed to work up details.

But he adds: "Although there has been a small number of complaints about lack of public toilets in Northallerton, it would seem sensible to await the outcomes of the town centre study before making a decision on whether to build another set of toilets in the High Street."