Whitefriars Public Toilets Statement

Whitefriars Public Toilets are owned, cleaned and maintained by North Yorkshire Council (NYC).

Settle Town Council previously held the cleaning contract for the Whitefriars Public Toilets and employed two members of staff to carry out the cleaning. This contract ended in November 2025, when responsibility for cleaning reverted to NYC. The toilets, which were previously owned by Craven District Council, became the responsibility of North Yorkshire Council following local government reorganisation.

More recently, Settle Town Council became aware of complaints regarding the cleanliness of the Whitefriars Public Toilets and asked NYC to review the cleaning schedule, particularly during the busy tourist season when visitor numbers to Settle increase significantly.

NYC advised that it did not have the budget to increase the number of daily cleans and asked whether Settle Town Council would contribute towards the cost of one additional clean on Saturdays and Sundays, at a cost of £50 per clean.

The Council’s 2026/27 budget was approved in January 2026, and the precept request was subsequently submitted to NYC. As Settle Town Council no longer held the cleaning contract for the Whitefriars Public Toilets, no provision was made within the budget for additional cleaning costs.

NYC’s request was considered at the Full Town Council meeting on 1 June 2026. Following discussion, the Council resolved not to provide financial assistance towards the cost of the additional weekend cleaning. Members noted that Settle Town Council no longer holds the cleaning contract or has any control over the cleaning schedule, and that funding for this purpose had not been included in the approved 2026/27 budget.