SOLAR panels are to be fitted to the roof of car park toilets in the centre of St Austell.

The town council has agreed to panels being placed on the Priory Car Park toilet block.

Councillors were told the council has few sites suitable for solar panels but that the car park is largely south facing and the block is covered by a CCTV camera. They also heard the council budget included £5,000 for climate change initiatives.

The panels could generate around 3,900kWh of electricity and save more than 800kg of carbon each year.

Councillors, who were informed that the panels should pay for themselves in seven to eight years, agreed the scheme should go ahead with a maximum budget of £10,000.