Lack of public toilets in towns.

SOME POSTERS ON THIS TOPIC ARE STATING IT IS NOT ABOUT ME.

It IS about me, I am having these problems daily, I mentioned the thread I had read on the web and I said I totally agreed with it because it affects my life daily and has turned me into a recluse apart from visiting shopping centres where I know there are toilets. Going to different towns is a no no as I have no idea where toilets are. I tried the Toilet App I was given on this forum but it does not state whether they are still open and when you have no idea where the toilets are as there is no direction but the name of the place the toilet is, it is no good at all. I used to have a Radar key but I found that the toilets were either closed, damaged or absolutely filthy. I may have to just keep popping into cafes, buy a coffee, have a small sip and use their toilets.

Curtaintwitcher

I don't think town planners appreciate how vital good toilets are. Many people are reluctant to shop in other towns because of the lack of toilets.
Vandalism was one reason for many toilets being closed. Instead of dealing with the vandals, they closed the toilets. Not the right way to address the problem.

Vandalism was one reason for many toilets being closed. Instead of dealing with the vandals, they closed the toilets. Not the right way to address the problem.

I'm with you on that.

Obviously, it's the cheaper option.

Instead of dealing with the vandals, the rest of society has to be inconvenienced.

It's such a basic requirement for the human race - to have somewhere clean and private to have a pee! And yet our 'civilised' society can't manage it. It's not even a facility that councils are obliged to provide.

I know that drug addicts have used public toilets to 'inject' themselves, out of sight. In Norway, they've found a way round this in some public toilets - the lighting is such that it makes it virtually impossible to see a vein into which you can inject... it's a strange, eerie blue light - but it seems to work.

It would be interesting to know how much the retail sector suffers because of people avoiding being out and about due to the lack of public loos!

It's awful that many of us can't go out because of bladder and/or bowel problems and a lack of decent public toilets. And it's not just older people! Every creature has to excrete including humans and it's about time that it became law to have toilets available.

'Holding on' can cause all sorts of health problems. Many lorry drivers who deliver goods have trouble accessing a toilet when out and about. Truckers Toilets UK worked for several years to get access to toilets by law at the companies they visit - and won - but it shouldn't have to be like that.

I've spoken in Parliament and other places about the need for toilets over the years and there's been lots of nodding heads and promises - but little or no action. There's a lot of talk about health on TV / radio etc but the need for toilets is touched on only occasionally - if at all. It's appalling. Having to fight to visit a toilet is unacceptable.

I travelled a lot in other countries and when I was working and have had no problems at all [apart from 'crouching'!!] so why can't the UK follow suit and take action and consider the needs of the whole population?

Our nearest town has a few and there are loads of coffee shops restaurants in the high street so not really a problem Ppl complain more about lack of benches to rest you’re weary legs. Some of the restaurants have codes that they give you to open the toilets worst thing is though a few are up flights of stairs

Dickens we’ve had those eerie blue lights in certain public loos in Norwich for decades. First time I saw them I asked an elderly lady who was hand washing what was going on. She casually replied “it’s to stop the druggies injecting themselves”. I honestly could not believe it and felt sad for Norwich our “Fine City”. That must be 25 years ago.

Primrose53

Dickens we’ve had those eerie blue lights in certain public loos in Norwich for decades. First time I saw them I asked an elderly lady who was hand washing what was going on. She casually replied “it’s to stop the druggies injecting themselves”. I honestly could not believe it and felt sad for Norwich our “Fine City”. That must be 25 years ago.

That must be 25 years ago.

On recollection, I left Norway in 2007 to return to the UK - so I realise I'm going back a bit, too! It doesn't seem that long ago, but it is...

I found those lights a bit 'spectral', and had no idea why they were installed and I also asked someone about them - she said they were very effective.

I didn't realise that addicts were so much of a problem - but of course one doesn't take much notice of people going in and out of the cubicles.

What happened in Norway, the area where I lived, was that the 'druggies' went into car parks, doorways, or on any spare patch of ground that wasn't often accessed by the public... mostly in the late evening.

I live near the se and our council have closed all the toilets so you can imagine where visitor go. A clue, don’t dig on the beach 😡

Having clean and available public toilets is a basic human right. We have such a toilet in the centre of our free car park, no wonder the town and its many small shops is thriving. We have benches all over the place, people sit a while and chat. No wonder it is so friendly here

Anyone could be caught out, young as well as old. I am surprised that toilets have been allowed to die

I seriously think this needs media attention because it is discrimination. It really is. If you said something was racist or sexist people would be up in arms. This is the same thing. Lobby your politicians, nag them and make them do their jobs!

We live near an outlet shopping centre, it’s our nearest town, and has many visitors
There are three entrances, and at each one there are really clean well maintained loos.
So if it can be done there, why not other places?

I agree with nana8, it does need media attention because everyone needs to use a toilet and when you are afraid to go anywhere new because you have no idea where toilets are or if they are even still open it causes so many personal problems. I have lost count of the urinary tract infections I have and seem to be living on antibiotics due to the fact that I cut out my drinking if I know I am going out somewhere. It has now got to the stage that I only go out once a week to the shopping centre where I know there are toilets, but I don't drive, there is no bus routes there and the taxis cost me £25 return. All because of the unavailability of toilets. It is disgusting.

I shall tell my politicians. I am shocked to hear how much distress this causes.
I had thought the worst situation was to be stuck in a traffic jam for hours on a motorway. But if we can't enjoy a stroll down our local High Street it is really sad.

Nicenanny3 Thank you for info about the app it’s brilliant!

Many towns do participate in the public toilet scheme, so it’s worth checking with your local council. The council pays some cafes to allow a walk in toilet facility without the need to buy. The app for finding public loos is good too.

I was on holiday in Cornwall recently and got a list of premises in the town where access to toilet was allowed.

The lack of toilets is really a worry. There used to be a public toilet in our local high street, also one in M&S and a further one at the very end in Sainsburys . Now only the latter might be still be there. I don’t know as I try to avoid the High Street and now have to get a bus into a main shopping centre where they are toilets. Toilet in Costa Coffee but really off putting as it is overused.

I’m watching Morning Live on BBC 1 just now and they’ve just said they’re going to discuss this problem at 9.45am

As if on cue, a worried looking elderly couple have just stopped me in the street to ask where there are any public toilets as the one signposted has closed.
Luckily I was able to direct them to the community store where I volunteer every Friday and where we welcome anyone whether or not they are customers.
But I will definitely remind the Council.

My Councillor has replied to say that the public toilets are permanently closed. They were briefly reopened and then vandalised. £30,000 of damage.
She said that people can use the Town Hall. Infact they can't because the access is closed off.

Is it any wonder our town centres are often struggling?
We as customers are regularly berated for favouring the out of town shopping centres, but it sounds like a lot of town centres are making it too difficult for a lot of people to visit.
We need some joined-up thinking here 🤔

When I told her about the dire situation she, the Councillor, says she will look into it.

I suggested an accessible map or sign board in the town centre to show which shops and cafés are happy for the public to use their loos.

I know that there are loos in Lidl and Tesco but a visitor wouldn't.

No shortage of public toilets in this part of Wales
On the council website there is a list of where they are along with their star rating

Many years ago my almost teetotal mother told me that it was all right to use a pub toilet if necessary. Sometimes I put a contribution into a charity box on the bar but no-one is really concerned why you have come in. Some restaurants and cafés are fine too. Large hotels are great, just walk confidently in, the Savoy has lovely facilities!
It is helpful to have a Radar key to access disabled toilets on railway stations etc. They are a few pounds online.

I believe that when public lavatories first came into being they were only provided for men - therefore women were restricted to Home Sweet Home, as per usual.

Nowadays we seem to have gone full circle, and even backwards as we have the disgustingly unnaceptable practice of men peeing in doorways, gardens and even wheelie bins, although if women can wait until they get home then the guys have absolutely no excuse.

Perhaps the introduction of mandatory castration would give gentlemen food for thought......but that's a fantasy for another day, I suppose, and it doesn't solve the immediate problem of scarcity of public (and well-maintained) facilities.

RunaroundSue did you look at the Access online card like I suggested? If you had one you wouldn't need to worry about finding a public toilet as you can use in it shops,pubs, restaurants,leisure centres etc . Plus there are other symbols you could have on to meet your needs . I brought 3 radar keys from eBay with a blue top which is large but is easy for me to use. I have never found a disabled toilet that wasn't clean . Radar keys are not expensive.