A town centre toilet block has been handed a stay of execution after an amendment to the budget bill was agreed at full council.

The issue was flagged by councillor Chris Walch whose call for a wider debate earlier fell on deaf ears.

On Tuesday however he received full council backing for his motion to keep the toilets at Market Gates open for a year while costings and other options were scoped out.

Speaking after the meeting he said it was a victory for “people power”.

MORE: You wont be able to spend a penny here anymore as council looks to save £8,750He said: “I put in an amendment that said I wanted the toilets to remain open for a year and to be funded by the town centre initiative.

“And then everything can go to the environment committee for proper costings.

“What we have now is a situation where we have to clean them all up and open all the cubicles, not run it down to close it down. We have to make sure it is all clean and all tidy.

“I believe very strongly that they have got to be left open. They are an essential part of the town centre and we have to get funding to rebuild and be proud of them.

“I believe there is still people power. I cannot emphasise enough that it is the people that go these meetings that make the difference.”

Mr Walch, who is leader of the UKIP group and represents the central and Northgate ward, said he would have voted down the budget had the toilet amendment been lost.

Shutting the amenity at Market Gates, was said to save an estimated £8,750.

The money-saving bid followed an earlier proposal to put gates at either end of the alley to stop people using arches in the old town wall as a toilet, and to deter general anti-social behaviour.