A CALL to "Love Ledbury" to explain how it has used a £7400 grant from the town council could set "an unhelpful precedent", according to a spokesman for the group.

Love Ledbury is the registered charity responsible for re-opening and running Bye Street toilets, and towards this end, Ledbury Town Council provided a grant in August 2014.

At the last full town council meeting, Cllr Phill Bettington asked for a "project update" in respect of this grant.

He said: "I have not seen sight of any report coming forward."

Cllr Liz Harvey, a member of Love Ledbury said: "I understand what Cllr Bettington is asking for and why he has asked for it. I am worried we are setting a precedent, - asking for an account from anybody we have given a grant to. I wonder if that is appropriate."

She added that it might set "an unhelpful precedent".

Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Harvey said that Cllr Bettington was referring to the grant made by the town council to Love Ledbury "for the fitting of coin-operated locks, signage and display advertising material" for the Bye Street toilets.

Cllr Harvey said that various reports had already been given.

She said: "Since receiving the grant last year I’ve provided several reports to full council on the progress made in getting the locks fitted, and so on.

"Cllr Bettington is in receipt of those reports and they are posted on the town council website, as they formed part of my councillor reports to full council. This was just for ease of reporting, as there’s no direct connection between my county councillor role and my support to the Love Ledbury project."

Cllr Harvey added: "A local firm is presently obtaining quotes for us to get some professionally printed signage installed with the Love Ledbury logo and contact details in case of emergencies, exterior noticeboards and for advertising frames for inside the cubicles in Bye St and Church Lane. Officers at Herefordshire Council have given us permission to advertise sponsor businesses in the Church Lane loos as well, which is good of them.

"I’m hoping to get some sponsorship for flower displays outside the loos from local businesses so we can fit in with the Ledbury in Bloom theme of ‘Paint the town red’ this year and cheer up the forecourt of the loos which looks a bit grim."

Bliss Cleaning has won the contract to clean the toilets.

Normally, there is a fee for using the toilets.

But Cllr Harvey added: "We continue to open all four cubicles free of charge for community events – which include the Carnival, October Fair, Christmas Lights switch-on, Boxing Day Hunt, Community Day and the Poetry Festival's Fun Day."