MORE pounds are to be invested to help members of the public spend a penny.

South Lakeland District Council has pledged to commit £50,000 to revamp public toilets across the area.

The authority says the money for town and parish councils which look after the loos, combined with other initiatives, means public toilets have never been more convenient.

SLDC invited parish and town councils to bid for the funding to make significant improvements to six local conveniences in Ulverston, Windermere, Kirkby Lonsdale and Arnside.

In Ulverston a grant of £11,500 will help upgrade the public toilets in the town’s indoor market hall and provide better facilities for those with disabilities.

The largest grant of up to £15,000 will help modernise the conveniences at Quarry Rigg in Windermere, providing much needed access for the disabled and nappy changing facilities.

The leader of SLDC, Councillor Giles Archibald, said: “We are always keen to work locally with town and parish councils and delighted to be able to make this money available to help them carry out important improvements to public toilets. As a council, we remain keen to support improved access to clean and safe toilets and we welcome requests from other parishes to help support public toilet provision. As a result of investment like this and initiatives to make more of them available, public toilets have never been more convenient.”

Elsewhere, Kirkby Lonsdale Town Council successfully applied for a SLDC grant of up to £14,000 for repairs and refurbishment at the Devil’s Bridge and Jingling Lane toilets; and Arnside Parish Council were awarded £5,000.

The grants have been made possible because of unspent funds allocated to the council’s Locally Important Projects.