The recent Royal Society for Public Health report on the ‘toilet deserts’ of England, highlighting the fall in the provision of public washrooms in recent years, predictably sparked widespread public reaction.
Letters pages of newspapers are not always the best place to take the pulse of public sentiment, as some people are rather more likely to write letters to papers than others. However, given how much such facilities are used, it is fair to say this is not a niche topic.
Responding to a Guardian editorial on the subject, the letter writers came from some very different angles on the topic, although there was unity on the need for more washrooms.
Among the correspondents were the views of Prof Jo-Anne Bichard and Gail Ramster, who are not merely interested members of the public, but representatives of the Public Toilets Research Unit at the Royal College of Art.
Are Public Washrooms Harmed By Prejudicial Attitudes?
They contended that the terminology is at fault, with terms like ‘facilities’ or ‘amenities’ failing to combat a taboo that sees such places as dirty and a necessary evil, something they argue helps to encourage vandalism and other antisocial behaviour.
Furthermore, they argued: “Often, the focus on preventing vandalism has taken precedence in design, making provision unwelcoming and further diminishing the availability of public toilets we actually want to use.”
Based on this argument, the priority needs to be not just provision, but education and changes of attitude, while design needs to be attractive, not just focused on vandal-proofing.
However, if you have responsibilities for equipping washrooms, ensuring that the toilet cubicles you buy are well protected against those who would kick the door down can be quite a challenge.
What Are The Pros And Cons Of Charging To Use Public Washrooms?
A key question is whether the solution lies in charging for entry. This can have various pros and cons:
- The money raised can go towards the funding and maintenance of the public washrooms
- Having to pay may act as a deterrent to vandals
- Against that, some may see this as an economic barrier to use, making washrooms a luxury
- Others may resent having to pay as a point of principle
Whatever the upsides and downsides, it is certainly true that some local authorities are biting this bullet. Recent examples include North Yorkshire Council’s decision to impose a blanket 40p charge for use, the Northern Echo reports.
This was tied to a stated aim of making sure all public washrooms in the county are in good or excellent condition by 2030, but there was a major dissenting voice in the form of Councillor Keane Duncan, who backed a local ‘free to pee’ campaign.
He said members of the public who had spoken to him “believed that public toilets are a basic fundamental service that should remain free to access”. He added that charging should only be a “last resort”.
In response, executive member for the environment Richard Foster said that while having free washrooms “would be great”, there was a cost to providing facilities that had to be met from somewhere.
Could Charging Help Solve Scarborough’s Public Washroom Shortage?
The views of some North Yorkshire residents on this question might be interesting to hear, not least in places where public washroom facilities are in short supply.
An example of this is Scarborough, where, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, locals are reluctant to visit the town centre due to a lack of facilities. This was a view expressed by many residents in a meeting of the town council.
Acknowledging the lack of council facilities, the local authority recently launched the Community Toilet Initiative, which offered support and promotion for local businesses that make their facilities available for wider public use.
However, as of March this year, no local businesses had signed up for the scheme, which resembles a similar initiative in York aimed at providing more loos and seating for those who are disabled or have special health needs, a scheme many businesses have signed up to.
Some might agree that North Yorkshire’s 40p charges could fund more washrooms in Scarborough and other ‘toilet deserts’ across North Yorkshire. But it remains the case that there will always be some firmly opposed.
Back on the Guardian letters page, such a view was expressed by a correspondent from Somerset, who argued that washrooms should always be free.
He said: “Using a public toilet is not a discretionary decision. They are an item of basic infrastructure, every bit as necessary as pavements.”
If you are in charge of procuring washroom equipment, you may not be responsible for deciding if users must pay. But you can certainly focus on the quality and design issues raised by the Royal College of Art to ensure they are attractive and comfortable.
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