'WHAT a relief!' the headline screamed. 'A new public toilet for Holmes Chapel!'

Architectural Projects Officer Tim Allen was pleased to announce that plans for an automated 'public convenience' had been submitted to Congleton Borough Council.

For the people of Holmes Chapel the relief might be that after almost two years of talking about a new loo, something concrete is finally being done about it.

For in the time it has taken the borough council to make up its mind where the loo should go and what it should look like, Knutsford Little Theatre has staged eight productions, Knutsford has set up its own rugby team and The Windmill pub in Tabley has been refurbished

"If you left doing business that long it would fail," said businessman Jonathan Farber, of King Street, Knutsford.

"It wouldn't grow or do anything."

Alan Mills, who has lived in Holmes Chapel for 25 years, is equally as baffled by the delay.

"I can't understand why it would take so long for something like that," he said. "It is just a toilet. It is not like they are building an office block."

Over the past two years - while Congleton has been finalising its plans - staff at Bob Farnon Tyres on the Longridge Industrial Estate have changed more than 3,300 tyres and a local architect has designed and submitted 24 planning applications for houses, a football changing room and a synagogue.

But yesterday Simon Kennish, Corporate Property Services Manager, went some way to explain the reason for the delay.

"This has been a totally new venture for the borough council," he said.

"It is the first time the council has bought land to install a public toilet, leased a unit or provided a superloo, so it has taken time. But hopefully we now have a template for the process and it should be quicker in future."

Councillors at Congleton Borough Council had all agreed that the existing loo in Holmes Chapel was a disgrace in 2003.

It was rundown, smelled and needed replacing. The dilemma was: With what? Now you know - thanks to this artistic impression of the self-cleaning, unisex, sandstone loo released last week by the borough council. The estimated cost of providing the facility for Holmes Chapel is £55,000, which includes fees, providing the foundations, connecting the service and demolishing the former toilet.

On top of that taxpayers will have to find £18,000 every year for rental, maintenance and service charges.

But it could be August before villagers can spend a penny on their new loo because councillors have got to decide whether they like it first.

"Once we have planning approval we will complete on purchase of the land which is currently owned by Cheshire County Council," said Mr Allen. "We will then place the order for the unit and allowing time for delivery and installation we are looking at August for it to be ready for use."

Not everyone, though, was dismayed at the delay. "I'm not really bothered about the time," said Marion Parks, who will live opposite the new loo, which will be built on the corner of Macclesfield Road near the library.

"I'm just glad we're getting a new toilet."