Public toilets in England have declined 14% in the last ten years and that poses serious hygiene risks, a public health charity found.
There are now more than 15,000 people for each public toilet in the country, a report by the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) revealed.
The dearth in public toilets leads to increases in public urination and unhygienic community spaces, the charity warned.
It also has disproportionate effects on women, babies in need of changing and people with disabilities.
William Roberts, RSPH chief executive, said: “Access to public toilets is a universal need that we all have, and we shouldn’t shy away from talking about it.
“One public toilet per 15,000 people simply isn’t good enough, and without action that figure will keep rising as we lose more facilities.
“For some people, access to a public toilet can be the difference as to whether they leave the house, for others it can lead to deliberately restricting fluid intake to avoid needing to use a toilet.”
Local councils are responsible for public toilet provision. But austerity measures have seen their spending power reduced by 26% since 2010, and quality of toilets varies massively across the nation.
England trails behind devolved nations Scotland and Wales, where the provision of public toilets by population is significantly higher.
Of the UK’s cities, London has the most toilets by volume, at more than 1000, but it faces the highest demand. It is followed by Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow and Edinburgh, according to ToiletNearMe.
Roberts added: “As a country we can and should be doing better. We need to create public spaces that people want to spend time in, and this means giving local authorities the resources they need to provide the facilities we all rely on.”
But the Borough of Richmond is hoping to flush away the problem by boosting its Community Toilet Scheme (CTS).
This nationwide policy allows councils to pair up with local businesses, who open up their bathroom doors to passers-by in need. There’s no obligation for the public to purchase from the business.
Instead, scheme participants receive between £800 and £1,000 annually, depending on how many days they open.
Twickenham’s Rose and Lion pub participates in the CTS. Passers-by can either search for facilities online or look for stickers outside local businesses.
The pub on London Road re-opened last year with new owners and it joined the CTS soon afterwards.
Assistant manager Amy Thompson said joining the scheme was a no-brainer, since the staff would happily allow members of the public to use their facilities regardless.
She said: “It was pretty much easy money for us.
“I know when I’m on shift, I would never turn someone away from using the toilets, even if they hadn’t paid for anything, because I know what it’s like being in central London or travelling and not being able to access a bathroom.
Thompson, who is Australian, said accessing public toilets in the UK is much more difficult.
“Especially as a woman, I think it is just a basic human need to have access to a toilet. I think that’s just the bare minimum that you can do for the community,” she said.
Images courtesy of Anna Boyne
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