Instead residents will have to trek to Booths if they need the loo.

Yesterday (Tuesday) Barbara West, of the Cheshire Library Service, said the public would be allowed to use staff toilets only in an emergency.

"The difficulty with toilets is they are expensive to maintain," she said. "If you provide them you also have to provide disabled toilets which is something else we had to think about."

Knutsford's present library does not have a public toilet either.

This week it was still not known what would happen to the Brook Street building when the library moved to Toft Road. But Ms West said the new library would be one of the best in the area.

"It will be pretty impressive," she said.

Last week developer Matt McCloskey met lawyers in Knutsford to finalise legal matters.

Yesterday he could not confirm an exact start date, but predicted that workmen would be on site by the end of next month.

"I think we will all deserve a pint by the time the JCBs arrive," he said.

Work is expected to be finished within a year.

The library will open first and Mr McCloskey will hold a 125-year lease on the site.

"I will hand the keys over when the library is complete, but I do not think I will be around when the lease is up," he said.

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