OXFORD City Council leaders bowed to public pressure last night and pledged to save four public toilets earmarked for closure.

Last month the Labour-run council voted to close seven public loos to save £50,000 a year.

But, following a windfall of more than £2.2m from the Government to help offset the concessionary bus fares bill, council leaders have had a change of heart.

John Tanner, board member for a cleaner, greener city, said: “After receiving an early Christmas present from the Labour Government we are passing it on to the public.

“The decision to close the toilets was one we made reluctantly and I am pleased we can now grant a reprieve to some of these much-loved local toilets.

“The toilets don’t belong to councillors, they belong to the people of Blackbird Leys, Littlemore and Summertown, and we have listened to what people are saying.”

The toilets to be saved are: l Knights Road, Blackbird Leys, l Cowley Road, Littlemore, l Woodstock Road, North Oxford, l and South Parade, Summertown.

But toilets at Castle Street in the city centre, Headington Hill Park and Barns Road, Cowley, are still set to close.

Toilets beside Hinksey Park in Abingdon Road and at the Wolvercote car park for Port Meadow will be closed during the winter.

Former Blackbird Leys Parish Council chairman Brian Lester welcomed the decision to save the Knights Road loos.

He said: “This is another U-turn by the Labour group, but it’s the right decision.

“The toilets are well used and if they were closed you would get people urinating in the street.”

Mr Tanner said it would cost £25,000 a year to keep the four reprieved toilets open. The annual £25,000 saved will be spent on toilet renovations or other projects.

Mr Tanner added: “We will continue with our plans for a £300,000 toilets facility at Gloucester Green and also examine the possible of installing automatic locking for all our toilets, which cuts down on maintenance costs.”

Jean Fooks, Liberal Democrat councillor for Summertown, said: “It is very good news that the Labour administration has seen sense and listened to the views of the public.”

But she said the Wolvercote toilets should be kept open in the winter, and their opening hours extended in the summer, to cater for the large number of walkers using Port Meadows.

She added: “I hope the administration will also reconsider the decision to close the other toilets – at least ensuring that alternatives are in place before closing what facilities there are.”

The decision to close the seven toilets was called in by the council’s value and performance committee, which met last night.

Mr Tanner said: “People are free to express their views until the executive board meets on December 2.”

Liberal Democrat Steve Goddard, who campaigned against the closures, said: “Labour’s U-turn does not go far enough.

“We will be continuing our campaign to save all of these loos.”

The council expects to get an extra £2.28m from the Government because of the unexpectedly high costs it is facing for the pensioners’ free bus fares scheme.

The council’s grant is projected to increase from £860,000 to £3.14m.