AFTER nearly seven months of wrangling, half the toilets faced with closure as part of South Lakeland District Council's budgetary belt-tightening are to shut while the other half look set for a fresh future.

Parish councils, the Lake District National Park Authority and one private developer are continuing discussions with SLDC to take control of seven facilities out of the 13 originally earmarked for closure in September 2001.

At an SLDC Cabinet meeting, members agreed to give interested parties until May 31 to conclude negotiations to take over conveniences at The Woodyard, Allithwaite; Rothay Park, Ambleside; The Bridge, Coniston; Stock Lane car park, Grasmere; Langdale, Chapel Stile; Lindale and Rayrigg Meadow, Windermere.

But no saviours could be found for loos at the Promenade Baths, Grange-over-Sands, at Stramongate, Kendal or Loftus car park, in Sedbergh.

These facilities were closed for the winter in December and will now not re-open.

Meanwhile, public toilets at Greenodd, Burneside and Kents Bank Station will flush their last and shut after the Easter holidays.

One more public convenience at Baddeley Clock, Windermere, which was not marked for closure, is also being "mothballed" as part of a swap with Windermere Parish Council to save the Rayrigg Meadow loos instead.

The facility is to be closed so it could, in theory, be re-opened at minimal cost if or when SLDC found money to run all Windermere's toilets.

The vacant conveniences will now be sold off by SLDC, with the exception of Kents Bank and Grennodd which were leased premises.

At the end of May, the council hopes to complete ' phase 1' of its programme of toilet closure and have saved at least £ 100,000.

The authority will then begin the process again, considering the disposal of around 12 loos to shave a further £100,000 off its annual public convenience spend.