Disbelief over high cleaning bills and poor maintenance helped councillors approve plans to close 10 of the county’s 40 unmanned toilets.
A 21 square metre public toilet that costs Angus Council more than £7,000 a year to clean will be among those closed by cuts.
The hitlist was trimmed by two after an amendment saving Carnoustie and Kirriemuir loos was approved during a neighbourhood services committee meeting.
Officers contended vandalism and drug abuse out of the public eye have driven proper use right down.
Committee convener Donald Morrison said: “With ever tighter budgets, leaving extremely difficult decisions to be taken over the coming years, closing public
toilets is one of those difficult decisions we have to consider.
“The report has been around for a while and in that time some toilets have had to close due to vandalism or worse for a couple of years now.
“Officers have assured me that alternative options are being looked at and hopefully these will be brought forward to us in due course.”
Vice-convener Jeannette Gaul made an amendment that the Tannage Brae toilets in Kirriemuir would not be closed until a community option was considered, which was seconded by Councillor Iain Gaul.
Mrs Gaul said she was “disappointed” recommendations by the area’s community council were ignored in the report.
Mr Gaul said that the toilets are used quite a bit but “could not get his head round” the cleaning bill.
“At £7,236 a year for cleaning, that’s £603 a month for 21 square metres,” he said. “Either we’re doing it wrong or doing our sums wrong.”
Councillor Ronnie Proctor said “you’d be safer going behind a bush” than using a toilet that would be kept open at the Den while Tannage Brae would close.
He added: “If we are paying £600 a month to keep it clean, I might ask my wife if she’d like a part-time job.”
Councillor David Fairweather said he “absolutely agreed” with closing some Arbroath toilets.
“But at the West Links, we have a new playpark there that is brilliant and we do not have toilets open long enough,” he added.
A report for putting the West Links outdoor services contract out to tender, including the aforementioned toilet services, was later approved by the committee.
Mrs Middleton said she was broadly in agreement with closing the Forfar toilets earmarked, especially having seen a water bill for £6,242 at Craig O’Loch Road.
She said: “I hope that’s a mistake, but whether it is or it isn’t we need to get these loos closed.”
Strategic director for communities Alan McKeown said work is “in the pipeline” with Monifieth Development Group on toilets in the burgh.
Angus Provost Helen Oswald said the retained toilets in Barry Road in her Carnoustie ward are “disgusting”.
“If some organisation is getting £6,000 a year for that cleaning job, I would sack them,” she said.
Fellow Carnoustie councillor Brian Boyd said he was disappointed that Norries Road was closing due to low usage, due to the fact that it is on a national cycle path and the council recently spent money re-roofing it.
Both Mrs Gaul’s and Mr Boyd’s amendments to keep Tannage Brae and Norries Road open were agreed.
Toilets approved for closure:
Arbroath West Links (by miniature railway terminus), Oldshorehead, Springfield, Hamilton Green. Brechin Meikle Mill, Carnoustie Ferrier Street.
Forfar Craig O’Loch Road, Market Muir,
Montrose Erskine Street, The Mall.