The need to provide public washroom facilities is something that has been broadly acknowledged since Victorian times, when towns and cities started to get proper sewerage and water systems. But in recent years, provision has been in decline.
Many people will be familiar with stories of their local public conveniences being shut down, either due to vandalism, shortages of council funds, or a combination of both. But new research has highlighted just how bad the problem is becoming in England.
A study by the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) has spoken of there being a series of public toilet ‘deserts’ across England, where it is hard, if not impossible, for members of the public to find facilities.
Based on over 200 Freedom of Information requests, key findings included:
- There are 15,841 people for every single public toilet in England
- The number of public washroom facilities has fallen by 14 per cent since 2016
- Local authority funding has dropped by 26 per cent since 2010, making it harder to maintain facilities amid squeezed budgets.
- The situation is much more favourable in Scotland and Wales, with one loo per 8,500 people in Scotland and one per 6,748 people in Wales.
How Does A Lack Of Washrooms Impact Public Behaviour?
The report echoes some of the findings of the RSPH’s 2019 report Taking the P, which noted that a lack of public facilities leads to as many as a fifth of the population not going out as much as they want to.
That figure rose to two out of five among those whose medical conditions require frequent washroom use, while around half of the public risk their health by deliberately dehydrating themselves to avoid needing to use facilities that are often not available.
Presenting the 2026 report, the RSPH said the current situation means issues highlighted in Taking the P, such as the inevitable increase in incidents of public urination and defecation, will remain a major problem.
What this shows is the major impact decision-makers can have by simply increasing the number of toilet cubicles that are available to the public.
What Can Be Done To Bolster Public Washroom Provision?
As well as making life more convenient for people, especially those with frequent user needs, the RSPH said it could play a key role in reviving ‘neglected’ town centres alongside initiatives such as the government’s ‘Pride in Place’ scheme.
Among its proposals are:
- The new strategic authorities should be given a duty to ensure there are sufficient facilities in their areas and in the right locations
- This should be supported by more government funding
- Private sector developers should be obliged to include public washrooms in non-residential developments
It remains to be seen whether these recommendations elicit a positive response from the government. However, if they do, this could be a game-changer for anyone responsible for installing and maintaining public washrooms.
An extension of public sector facilities would, under these recommendations, be substantially funded and, in many cases, closed facilities in important locations such as town centres or tourist hotspots could be restored.
Placing a duty on commercial developers may be a trickier issue, given that some already argue that the responsibilities placed on developers over issues like the environment and wildlife habitats can be quite onerous.
How Could Providing More Washrooms Benefit Businesses?
However, an alternative view might be to see such a development as an investment, making the locality more user-friendly and avoiding the mess and stench of anti-social public fouling.
In an age when online retail is ubiquitous, people need good reasons to return to town centres. Making them more attractive places based on positive and sociable experiences will involve many things, but better facilities and curbing antisocial behaviour among them.
A retailer with washrooms on their premises can bring more people into them and, even if many will only enter with the intent of using the facilities, some may be attracted by the retail offering they encounter, as well as being generally more aware of it.
In some places, initiatives have already been launched to encourage private sector businesses to play their part in tackling the problem. York is a case in point, as a city of over 140,000 residents, but also a tourist hotspot.
Last year, the For Your Convenience scheme was established, with 55 York businesses signing up to offer free toilet access for people with disabilities or health issues.
This kind of scheme can help, although it will tend to involve individual facilities. However, developers who want to invest not just in a building but the wider town centre environment may find that developing washrooms with rows of cubicles could be a very smart move.
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