The British Toilet Association (BTA) has launched a Legalise Loos campaign to make public toilet provision a legal requirement for government and councils. Currently, local authorities are responsible for the provision for public toilets, but this is an optional provision and not a mandatory requirement.
The number of public toilets has reduced a staggering 40 per cent since 2000, impacting both people’s wellbeing and the health of our economy. This affects people of all ages, whether travelling, participating in activities outside, or visiting family, friends and colleagues.
The ‘loo leash’ means that one in five people restrict their travel due to lack of public toilets, with 14 million people having incontinence issues; 15 million people menstruating, and 16 million people having a disability.
Lack of toilet facilities damages our high street economy. Research shows that pedestrian friendly investment generates 30 per cent more footfall in town centres and high streets. For instance, in Soho, a lack of public loos costs £4.9m every year in lost revenue.
A Royal Society for Public Health report (2019) stated: “Public toilets should be considered as essential as streetlights, roads and waste collection, and equally well enforced by legislation and regulations.”
The BTA is calling on the Government to reverse this decline by making toilet provision compulsory for all public organisations. This will bring about real positive daily impact for the vast majority of the population.
Commenting on the Legalising Loos Campaign, Professor Sir Michael Marmot CH, Director at UCL Institute of Health Equity, said: ‘A feature of the Good Society is to provide for people’s basic needs. There are few things more basic than enabling people to go about their business. Access to public toilets is particularly crucial for people with a range of vulnerabilities.’
Raymond Martin, Managing Director, BTA, said: “Over the last 25 years, we have lost a staggering 40 per cent of our public loos, causing inconvenience and distress to people up and down the country. Now is the time for action.
“This Government has an opportunity to reverse recent decline and make public toilets legal by making their provision a duty and not a choice. By spending a penny now, we can safeguard facilities for the future – benefiting local communities and local economies in the long term.”
