Community toilets set for closure have been offered an eleventh hour reprieve after a dramatic council U-turn.

After a proposal put forward by councillors, the public conveniences at Seven Kings Park, Aldborough Road South, should be reopened at the end of this month.

At the children’s services and leisure services scrutiny committee, at Redbridge Town Hall, High Road, Ilford, Cllr Sue Nolan committed herself to providing �6,000 towards keeping the toilets open for one year, providing the local area committees could match the funding themselves.

The Area Seven committee, made up of councillors from Valentines, Newbury and Cranbrook wards, then voted to provide �3,000 towards the scheme in the hope that the remaining �3,000 will be provided out of the Area Five committee’s purse.

Area Seven Committee Chairman, Cllr Dev Sharma, said: “This is a huge issue and not just shutting down one local bog - it affects the lives of a large number of users.

“We are very encouraged by this new plan, so we have provided the �3,000 and I am very confident that Area Five will match that.”

If the scheme is agreed at Area Five councillors then the toilets at Seven Kings, which closed on Friday, will reopen as early as May 1.

Cllr Sharma added: “I hear that Cllr Sue Nolan is committed to keep open the toilets for special events in the meantime, like when there are sports games.”

Reverend Jonathan Evens, chairman of the Seven Kings and Newbury Park Residents’ Association said: “This new plan is excellent news and we are all really thrilled.

“It’s another example that the council are listening to community groups and that people are taking the idea of Big Society seriously.

“People are seeing that there is a role for community groups to play in the area.”