England left with ‘toilet deserts’ as public facilities decline by 14% in a decade | Health

The number of public toilets in England has fallen by 14% in a decade, damaging public health and creating vast areas of toilet “deserts” and unpleasant environments, a report has found.

Analysis by the Royal Society for Public Health found a “significant gap” in provision, with 15,481 people for every public toilet in England. This contrasts sharply with Scotland, where there are 8,500 people for every toilet, and Wales, with 6,748.

The analysis was based on 221 FOI responses from 309 English councils. The number of toilets decreased by 14% compared to 2016.

The RSPH warned that the lack of toilets was increasing the number of people urinating in public, creating unsanitary conditions. She also highlighted a potential knock-on effect on high streets, as the study suggests some people are avoiding going out due to a lack of public amenities.

William Roberts, chief executive of the RSPH, said: “Access to public toilets is a universal need that we all have, and we should not be shy about talking about it.

“One public toilet for every 15,000 people is simply not enough and, without action, this figure will continue to rise as we lose more facilities.

“For some people, access to a public toilet can make a difference when they leave the house, for others it can lead to deliberately restricting their fluid intake to avoid having to use the toilet.

“The effects go far beyond the individual. An insufficient number of public toilets has inevitable unsanitary consequences, creating unpleasant environments that degrade our public space.

“As a country we can and must do better. We need to create public spaces that people want to spend time in, and that means giving local authorities the resources they need to provide the facilities we all rely on.”

The RSPH is calling for new strategic authorities to have a duty to ensure there are enough public toilets, supported by central government funding.

He also said developers need to do more, calling for regulations that would require public restrooms to be included in any development with non-residential units. Currently, local councils must decide how many toilets are needed in their area.

The Local Government Association said the lack of public toilets disproportionately affected vulnerable groups including the elderly, people with disabilities, those with health conditions, babies and children and people sleeping rough.

A spokesperson said: “Financial pressures have led councils to rethink their offering. Maintaining public toilets could cost a council £25,000 a year, a figure which depends greatly on the state they are left in by their former users.

“Vandalism and anti-social behavior costs councils millions of pounds a year, which means councils need to invest in more regular cleaning and better security, meaning the taxpayer foots the bill for vandalism in this most basic public provision.

“Many councils have attempted to fill and prevent gaps in provision, by working with businesses to develop community toilet projects.

“However, councils are keenly aware that gaps have opened up despite these efforts, for example when businesses have closed on our high streets. »

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: “To help councils deliver public services such as toilets, we have made more than £78 billion available for council finances, with local leaders free to decide for themselves how best to spend the majority of this sum. »