Toilets used mainly by tourists are having to be paid for out of the pockets of Keswick residents, a councillor has complained.
Keswick Town Council has been asked to raid its coffers to stump up £1,875 towards the cost of providing portable toilets on the Keswick to Threlkeld trail.
Rates collecting Allerdale Borough Council is also chipping in the same amount.
It came after the Lake District National Park Authority – which reinstated the pathway – warned it could not meet the cost of paying for the toilets this year having paid for them in 2021.
Cllr Adam Paxon has said it does not seem fair that the bill for the toilets would now end up coming out of money raised by the town council precept, which is a levy on local council taxpayers.
Cllr Paxon said while he agreed that the money needed to be spent on toilet provision, he said: “It’s frustrating that the national park, against our advice, developed this path and brings in hundreds of thousands of people to it and then it’s the residents of the town that are having to fund the use of those toilets.
“I’m not against the proposal (to contribute), I am just frustrated the people of this town are left footing the bill for them.”
Other councillors have pointed out that people in Keswick also use the path and portable toilets.
Cllr Sally Lansbury supported paying and said a partnership to cover costs was the only way forward to have provision.
