A DISUSED public toilet block near Chepstow can become a studio flat, after planners backed the proposal.

The loos on Mathern Road in Bulwark closed two years ago and were sold by Monmouthshire council at auction for £24,000 in February following a bidding war among four people which saw the hammer come down at more than double the guide price of between £5,000 and £10,000.

The new owner, Stuart Wilson, of Agincourt Street, in Monmouth, has been granted planning permission to turn the dilapidated building into a studio flat with two parking spaces, which he says will improve the street character and deter squatters who might use it for anti-social behaviour.

The single-storey building lies alongside a layby and stands between the Bowling Green and the Tennis Courts. It has 297sq ft of internal space, similar to a small shop, and is divided internally into ladies’ and gents’.

The layby has been used for residential parking for 50 years. A report by Mr Wilson says the users of the car park are very courteous and that access has not been a problem in recent weeks.

More than 100 people put forward their ideas for the building as part of public consultation.

Mr Wilson said: “I have received strong support from the local community for my idea,” he said. “I have already received three offers of interest from persons wishing to live there if I do convert the building into a studio flat so there is clearly a demand for this type of housing in the area.”