CAMPAIGNERS say they can smell victory in their year-long battle to save an isolated village's public toilets from being given the flush.

Shap Parish Council was to be given charge of the village's public toilets under controversial cost-cutting proposals submitted to EDC councillors last year.

The recommendation led to fears that villagers would be saddled with the financial burden of the transfer through its parish precept because parish councils would struggle to meet the running costs.

Now the authors of the original plans, EDC's scrutiny committee, have drawn up a new raft of proposals to save the authority £50,000 a year.

Shap campaigner John Lowis has collected 11,000 signatures from people across the world and wrote to Prime Minister Tony Blair calling for the village's toilets to be spared.

He believes victory is in sight but is putting the celebrations on hold until Eden District Council rubber stamps the recommendations at a meeting in December.

"It seems we are nearly there although the strength of feeling has been there for everyone to see for some time," said Mr Lowis.

"We have thousands of tourists and visitors come here each year what will they do if the toilet is closed?"

The new plans have however, attracted some criticism. Appleby and Kirkby Stephen will bear the brunt of closures, with three of the four toilets facing the axe located in the two towns.

Kirkby Stephen councillor David Raw called for the town's TIC toilets to remain open.

"These are the only disabled toilets in Kirkby Stephen and their closure will only save £182, which is a tiny part of the £50,000 worth of savings they have identified," he said.

Meanwhile Appleby councillor Ella Langan said she was "happier" with the new set of proposals, in particular with the recommendation to retain the Broad Close toilets, which had initially been earmarked for transfer to Appleby Town Council.

Chairman of the scrutiny committee Gordon Savage said the committee had undertaken a large public consultation before drawing up the new proposals something that EDC was attacked for not doing last year.

"I hope people will be reasonably happy with what we have done and that we have addressed their concerns but there is still room for some flexibility," he said.

"We need to find savings because we are receiving less and less from central Government, and if we don't it will get bunged on the council tax, which is already high enough."

The proposals are set to go before a meeting of Eden District Council on December 15.

Toilets to be retained by EDC: Alston Town Hall; Appleby Broad Close and Market Arcade; Dufton; Kirkby Stephen Stoneshott Patterdale*; Penrith Bluebell Lane/ Castle Park/ Sandgate/ Southend Road; Pooley Bridge; Shap; Threlkeld.

Toilets to be offered for transfer to parish councils/ village halls (savings in brackets). EDC will pay 25 per cent of running costs: Brough (£6,710); Garrigill (£7,578); Glenridding* (£6,341); Nenthead (£2,584); Orton (£3,044); Tebay (£4,259).

Toilets set for closure (savings): Alston Railway Station (£10,755); Appleby Shire Hall (£6,233); Tourist Information Centre (£2,402); Kirkby Stephen Tourist Information Centre (£182).

*One of the toilets will be retained by EDC while the other will be offered for transfer, following further discussion with Patterdale Parish Council.