Villages are to be asked to take over the running of public toilets in an attempt to slash costs.

Tunbridge Wells council wants to save £100,000 by passing on responsibility for maintaining and cleaning the loos.

Approaches have been made to Brenchley and Matfield, Benenden, Hawkhurst, Horsmonden and Lamberhurst.

If the parishes cannot afford to take on the toilets, it could mean they are closed.

A third option, adopted in other parts of the country, is to pay local pubs and businesses to make their toilets available to the public.

It is an idea that some villages have embraced.

Cllr Ray Harding, chairman of Hawkhurst Parish Council, said: “We’ll get more toilets available to the public at more convenient times. At the moment ours closes at dusk, in the winter it’s closed more than it’s open. With this plan toilets would be open from around 8am to 11pm.”

The council have written letters to all the local businesses asking for their opinions on joining such a scheme and two have already responded that they would be interested in taking part.

But other villages are less enthusiastic.

Brenchley and Matfield Parish Council wants no change to the current situation.

Its chairman, Cllr Mike Mackenzie, said the parish could not afford to fund it.

He said: “We have a budget of £40,000 and the cost of running our two loos would be £7-10,000 per year. That’s a quarter of our precept.”

More than 120 residents met on Thursday last week to call for the borough council-funding public toilet to be retained.

Cllr Paul Barrington-King (Con), Tunbridge Wells council’s cabinet member for the environment, said: “A review of the existing toilets facilities both in the town and the rural areas is being carried out.

“These discussions are continuing and it is intended to bring a report to cabinet in December. At this point no decisions have been made with regards to the future of these services.”