Conclusions and recommendations
Introduction
1. We welcome and support the Government's Strategic Guide on public toilet provision, with its strong encouragement for local authorities to adopt a strategic approach to public toilets, taking into account the needs of all those who use public spaces, including those with children, older people, people with disabilities and visitors to our villages, towns and cities.
(Paragraph 12)
2. It appears that the overall number of public toilets has declined in recent years, but the lack of reliable data makes it impossible to know for sure. We recommend that the Government seeks a means of collecting this data, either through requiring local authorities to provide figures from their own areas or by charging the Audit Commission with resuming its collection of accurate information on the provision of public toilets. We appreciate that there are costs associated with this data collection exercise, but it is essential for formulating a public toilet strategy.
(Paragraph 13)
Current provision
3. We recommend that local authorities provide visible, clear signs for their existing public toilets, detailing such information as opening hours and location. Information about public toilet facilities and locations should also be provided in promotional leaflets for both locals and visitors and on local authorities' websites. This will also highlight those local authorities that have a high level of toilet provision and those that are lacking in toilet provision, enabling local people to press their local authorities for better provision.
(Paragraph 21)
4. We recommend that there should be standard public toilet signage across the country (possibly using symbols rather than text to allow for universal recognition, irrespective of language). We recommend that the Government and local authorities, in partnership, introduce best practice guidance on a standard approach to public toilet signage.
(Paragraph 22)
5. We recommend that local authorities can and should exercise existing legislative powers to prevent anti-social behaviour.
(Paragraph 32)
6. There is a perception by the general public that unattended public toilets are seen as threatening places, which puts people off using them, which in turn invites more anti-social activity. We recommend that local authorities study the benefits and cost effectiveness of providing attended public toilets, or at least ensuring regular inspections, so that the public regains its confidence in using them.
(Paragraph 33)
7. We recommend that local authorities ensure that public toilets are taken into account in needs assessments of older people and in supporting the independence of older people.
(Paragraph 39)0
8. No local authority should use the Disability Discrimination Act as an excuse to close down public toilets for general use. (Paragraph
44)
9. We recommend that local authorities make appropriate provision for disabled public toilets, taking the British Standard relating to the provision of disabled public toilets as their primary guideline, We recommend that local authorities, in planning their public toilet provision, should not neglect provision for severely disabled people, and we encourage them to establish specialist disabled toilets in major centres of population.
(Paragraph 45)
10. When local authorities work out ways in which they comply to the Gender Equality Duty in respect of public toilet provision, they should follow the relevant British Standard guidelines, ensuring that their provision covers the needs of women as well as men. We recommend that local authorities aim to provide a ratio of 2:1 public toilet provision in favour of women. (Paragraph
49)
11. We welcome the audit of disabled toilet access and the policy review being undertaken by London Underground.
(Paragraph 52)
12. We agree with the London Assembly's recommendation that Transport for London, train operating companies and boroughs study how the provision of public toilets in stations and other transport interchanges can be provided, improved, maintained and signposted. We endorse the London Assembly's recommendation that the Mayor should extend his policies to improve public toilet provision, currently in operation for the Underground and surface transport, to those national rail service that come under his control. The Mayor should include the requirement to provide public toilets in any tendering process station upgrades in those national rail services that come under this control.
(Paragraph 56)
13. We recommend that local authorities and train operators make full use of the Department for Transport's Access for All Small Scheme funding of £7 million a year to ensure that there are improved, accessible toilet facilities.
(Paragraph 57)
14. We recommend that Network Rail carry out an audit of existing public toilets at mainline stations to locate the shortfalls in its public toilet provision.
(Paragraph 58)
Community Toilet Schemes
15. The ENCAMS toolkit is to be provided to all local authorities and interested parties. We welcome the ENCAMS toolkit, which shares good practice of implementing the Community Toilet Scheme and recommend that all local authorities should incorporate it into their public toilet strategy. (Paragraph
62)
16. We support the Community Toilet Scheme (CTS) initiatives in local authorities, although they are not appropriate everywhere and may provide only a partial solution to the adequate provision of public toilets; the CTS alone cannot cover the needs of every local member of the community. We commend those authorities that have extended their provision of public toilets in this way, but we recommend that such schemes must be supplemented by other types of toilet provision. Local authorities need to be aware of some groups who might feel uncomfortable going into a pub to go to the toilet. The scheme must cover a variety of outlets to ensure that toilet facilities are available for a wide range of users, over a substantial part of the day and night. (Paragraph
72)
17. The signage in CTS schemes need to be extremely clear and welcoming to the public. When local authorities start such a scheme, the initiative should be heavily publicised in the local media; local authorities need to advertise the scheme - as one among other types of public toilet facilities - to local residents, as well as to visitors and tourists. Stating "Community Toilet Scheme" on a window is not enough information to tell the public that those premises' toilets are open to the general public. (Paragraph
73)
Relevant existing local authority powers
18. Public toilet provision gained under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 is to be encouraged. We recommend that local authorities review such agreements regularly to ensure not only that the requirement to build is carried out, but that the toilets are regularly maintained.
(Paragraph 77)
19. We recommend that local authorities should make full use of positive letting policies to ensure a greater number of toilet facilities available for the general public.
(Paragraph 78)
20. Environmental health officers can use their powers to ensure that public toilets are provided and maintained for public use in relevant commercial premises. We recommend that environmental health officers review plans and licence applications to ensure that adequate sanitary facilities are provided.
(Paragraph 79)
21. We recommend that local authorities should encourage establishments selling food and drink for consumption on the premises to provide appropriate toilet facilities for their customers, following relevant British Standards. Local authorities have existing planning, licensing and leasing powers by which they can ensure that more public toilets are provided. These are not being used to their full potential and we recommend that local authorities use such existing powers to ensure the adequate provision of public toilets. (Paragraph
80)
22. We recommend that all providers of public toilets consider modern access-control methods as an alternative to traditional turnstiles.
(Paragraph 81)
The role of local authorities in providing public
toilets
23. There are six National Indicators (NIs) that link to the provision of public toilets: NI 4 (the percentage of people who feel that they can influence decisions in their locality); NI 5 (overall/general satisfaction with local area); NI 138 (satisfaction of people over 65 with both home and neighbourhood); NI 140 (fair treatment by local services); and NI 195 (improved street and environmental cleanliness). If local authorities are treating public toilet provision seriously, they should consider placing the provision of public toilets within one or more of these national indicators. There are a variety of different tools that local authorities can use as a lever to promote public toilets. We recommend that local authorities recognise the value of public toilets and find ways in which to include the provision of public toilets in their duty to support their local community, through, for example, Community Strategies, Local Development Frameworks, Local Area Agreements and Business Improvement Districts
(Paragraph 89)
People power
24. We recommend that local authorities consult their local community if there is the threat of public toilet closure, and that local authorities must demonstrate the case for closing public toilets. Public toilets should be closed only if there is a strong case for it and after extensive consultation.
(Paragraph 95)
25. Local authorities should follow the Government's White Paper "Communities in Control" and should involve the local community when devising their public toilet strategies.
(Paragraph 96)
A public toilet strategy
26. We feel strongly that the recommendations made in the Government's Strategic Guide should be acted upon by local authorities. For this reason, we recommend that the Government imposes a duty on each local authority to develop a strategy on the provision of public toilets in their areas, which should include consultation with the local community and which should be reviewed annually. The duty of compiling and reviewing a public toilet strategy is a simple requirement that will go a long way towards achieving the right of people who live in and visit this country to have accessible and clean public toilets, wherever they live, work or visit. The way in which local authorities plan and utilise their own strategic plan is a decision for them; the fact that they have a plan should be a duty placed on them by the Government.
(Paragraph 103)
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