LOCALS and visitors wanting to spend a penny in Kendal can now use toilets for free at pubs, attractions and shops in the town centre.

Following the closure of public toilets by South Lakeland District Council, nine businesses in the area have opened the doors for the public to use their facilities.

Beales, The Westmorland Shopping Centre and The Brewery Arts Centre are among the businesses that have agreed that the public can use their toilets as part of the Kendal Community Toilet Scheme.

But there are concerns from some traders that urine and faeces could become common sights on the town's streets.

The pilot was launched on Tuesday,the same day that excrement was found outside the closed toilets at Peppercorn car park.

Margaret Elleray, of Indigo on Kirkland, said closing the toilets was a 'retrograde step' and said she feared finding more 'piles of pooh'.

She said that the notice on the toilet block pointed people to Abbott Hall, adding: “I would like to see some form of facility in the car park even if the public have to pay for it.

"Will it be cheaper closing the toilets than if every time there is faeces outside the toilets someone from the council has to come and clean it up?"

She said that there were security and cleansing issues with allowing the public into premises to use toilets and added: "We have had people coming in to ask if they can use our toilets but we did not go into business to be a public toilet."

Coun Clare Feeney Johnson, the portfolio holder for Environment and Sustainablity, said that the mess was probably left outside the toilets at night.

“The council toilets were closed at night anyway and behaviour like that will happen whether there are facilities there or not and there are lots of facilities close by.

“We now have far more facilities on offer than we did before.”

She also said that she hoped that businesses could convert the extra visitors into paying customers.

Paula Scott, of Kendal Futures, which was involved in getting the scheme off the ground, said: “It is important that we offer a warm welcome to visitors and locals.

"It says something about the ethos of the town that businesses are prepared to let people use their toilets at their own cost.

“It will make the visitor experience to Kendal very postive and we hope that it will be very successful."

Debbie Bond, of the Brewery Arts Centre, said the amount of extra people using their toilets would not be a 'worry'.

If the year-long scheme is a success it could be rolled out to other areas.

Businesses taking part

•Abbot Hall Coffee Shop
•Beales
•Brewery Arts Centre
•Charlie’s Bar
•K Village
•Kendal Town Hall
•Quaker Tapestry
•Wakefield Arms