The council has been accused of throwing £25,000 ‘down the pan’ by upgrading public toilets just nine months before they closed.

It has been revealed that Cheshire East Council forked out £24,368.20 on the facilities at Churchill Way in Macclesfield last October, but were forced to close them when the landlord announced the lease would not be extended.

Resident and former Macclesfield Forest councillor David Edwardes said he is appalled the council spent such a large sum without checking the contract.

The 65-year-old from Rugby Drive in Tytherington, who is now retired, said: “I was absolutely flabbergasted they spent all that money and then the landlord decided to take back the lease. It’s £25,000 completely down the pan.”

In an email to David, following a freedom of information request he made to the council, council officer Gill Clowes said that the toilets at Craven House on Churchill Way had needed upgrading.

In her official response she wrote: “When the decision was taken to refurbish these toilets, the landlord had given no indication they were going to terminate the lease so the council proceeded to provide better user facilities. The council would have preferred to extend the lease, however, the landlord has now served Cheshire East Council with the relevant notice to terminate it.

“There are currently no plans to replace the public conveniences.”

Macclesfield Central ward councillor Janet Jackson also questioned why the money was spent. She said: “It’s all well and good if the council didn’t know the lease was to end but they should’ve checked before spending the money. And if the landlord ended the contract early I would’ve expected the council would be able to reclaim some of those costs.”

The toilets had to be closed after the current owner decided to sell the site. It is unknown whether the future owner will offer a new lease to the council.

A spokesman from commercial property specialist Greenham Commercial Ltd, which is dealing with the sale of Craven House, said the toilets’ future depended on the buyer. There is now just one town centre public convenience at Park Green. Public toilets in Poynton, Bollington and Disley have all closed.