YOUPublic urination made headlines this week with news that at least two men were recently fined for doing so in rural Hertfordshire. The municipality of Dacorum and many others consider the act an offense against littering.
a Royal Association for Public Health A 2019 survey found that three in four people in Britain reported a shortage of toilets in their area. A decrease in the maintenance of public facilities Over the years, many, including the elderly, the disabled and those with young children, have been forced to plan carefully or rely on private companies. It has also had a significant impact on gig economy workers and rough sleepers.
Four people explain the impact the reduction in the number of public toilets has had on their well-being.
‘Another thing that makes life with a chronic illness more difficult’
Annie, 72, who has multiple sclerosis (MS) and related bladder problems, said the availability of accessible public facilities in her environment had deteriorated over the years. “I used to know the location of almost every public toilet in Bolton town centre, but these are now fewer and not always easily accessible,” she said, explaining that she has mobility issues.
Annie has one MS cardthat gives it access to the facilities of catering establishments, and a Radar key to open closed public toilets. “The M&S in the city centre, which was so handy, closed last year. It has been a problem since long before the pandemic,” she said. However, things may change after Bolton Council last year announced a £225,000 plan to create more disabled toilets.
Progressive MS and concerns about access to facilities have meant Annie has moved much of her social life online to Zoom. “I plan fewer trips than I otherwise would, and it limits where I can go. If I don’t have access to a toilet, I try to be home within an hour. Sometimes this takes too long, leading to ‘accidents’ that can be embarrassing and uncomfortable.”
She said she limits fluid intake if she has to be out for more than an hour. “The lack of public toilets is just one more thing that makes living with a chronic illness more difficult than it needs to be.”
‘Children need the toilet very often’
For those with young children, a lack of public toilets can make planning a day out unnecessarily complicated. John Zhang, 40, said this had made his visits to central London with his partner and five-year-old daughter less frequent. “It’s hard to find toilets unless we pay £3.95 each for coffee or to go to museums. I have to plan in advance where I will take my child. Children have to go to the toilet very often, they cannot hold it. And sometimes in small cafes there is not always a toilet (for customers). It takes away the pleasure of a visit.”
Zhang, a tour operator, has noticed this decline over the past decade and believes it is having a negative impact on tourism. “You now see more and more people urinating in the streets – that is not good for the city’s economy and for small businesses. Tourists complain that they cannot find toilets. Sometimes, if there are public toilets, you have to pay with coins – (but) not that many people carry cash and often don’t give change. It’s not nice to see people urinating in the street, and if you gave them the choice, they wouldn’t do it.”
‘It’s a source of fear to go somewhere else’
Due to a lack of facilities, 70-year-old Bob may have difficulty going to unfamiliar places. “Like many men my age, I have an enlarged prostate, which means I have to urinate often and frequently at short notice. You need to have a constantly updated mental map of public toilets, which is possible for my area, but it is a source of anxiety if you go anywhere else.
Bob, who is retired in East Sussex, said it had been a problem for years, including in Norwich and London, where he previously lived. “Where I live there are not enough public toilets; many of these have been closed in recent years and not replaced.”
He sees the issue as part of a broader trend toward privatization of public spaces and facilities. “I am concerned that the trend of closing public toilets and relying on access to commercial facilities will continue until the idea of ’free’ public services disappears.”
‘There are indications of pollution in public spaces’
Others pointed to the degradation of the environment and their local environment. Elspeth, a retired teacher in Mid Wales, said she was concerned that councils could close some toilets in the national parks where she enjoys spending time, with public health implications.
“There are still some public toilets in Pembrokeshire and the Brecon Beacons. (In places) where there are no toilets, there is pollution in car parks and nearby hedgerows, which is disgusting and unsafe,” Elspeth said. In Walesthe Public Health (Wales) Act 2017 requires every local authority to establish a local toilet strategy.
Elspeth drew a comparison with New Zealand after a visit there. “I am amazed at the quality and quantity of public toilets, even in the most remote locations. This investment in a public need has kept their countryside pristine. Their toilets put us to shame.”