THE long-running saga of a Herefordshire town's closed public loos has taken a big step forward with the appointment of a contractor.

Bromyard's only public toilets have been closed since 2023, when they were shut down due to various issues, including a blockage that was later discovered to be a roof tile wedged in a drainage pipe.

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Portaloos have been in place next to the defunct toilet block in the Tenbury Road car park since the closure.

But now plans to reopen a proper block of toilets in the town have taken a major step forward, with draft minutes from an extraordinary meeting of Bromyard and Winslow Town Council in October revealing that a contractor has been chosen for the refurbishment of the loos.

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The job was previously put out to tender, with six tenders received, the minutes said. 

The tenders were assessed using a weighted scoring system, which included cost, quality, and contractor experience, with councillors choosing to accept the council evaluation panel's recommendation.

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The £66,767 contract was awarded to GI Sykes, with the addition of a possible £3,750 is rendering is required to the exterior, the minutes said.

Councillors also noted the importance of putting measures to minimise the risk of vandalism in place, the minutes said. 

Council minutes previously revealed that the council had accepted a quote for architectural services for the renewal of the loos from IJW Design and Consulting at a cost of £1,150.