Toilets are popular local news items. Sometimes this is good news such as new toilets opening and successful refurbishments, but more often than not it’s Bad Loos News concerning vandalism, anti-social behaviours and closures that’s the story. These articles can result in multiple letters to the editors.
I’ve been collecting 'Loos in the News' articles for a number of years now. Here’s a roundup of 2025 so far.
The Good
New toilets have been opened in Rydd on the Isle of Wight. Richmond Park in London will soon have new toilets (and a café and entrance) as will Queensferry Hawes Pier in Edinburgh.
Many councils are hampered by budget cuts and toilets are always in danger of closure. When this happens, some councils recognise the importance of provision and look for alternative ways to provide loos. Wrexham Council is exploring increasing provision through ‘co-location’. Discussions with local businesses were ongoing but it was great to see a headline that mentioned the need for more public loos. The council had a survey that found many people found existing provision problematic. Just under half reported they would use shop toilets without feeling pressure to buy something and more than half said they would be willing to pay to use toilets. The council also recognised that a fifth of the population was over 65, many of whom will need the toilet more often and may also have issues ‘holding on’.
The Parish Council of Newton Poppleford in East Devon have approached the district council to take over their public toilet as a ‘community asset transfer’. We are beginning to see this more and more as communities recognise the importance and need for public toilets and are willing to come together to take over provision.
A public consultation in Glasgow resulted in nearly 2000 responses, with 95% saying current public toilet provision was insufficient. This has resulted in Glasgow City Council drawing up its first public toilet strategy to improve provision over the next decade. After 67% of respondents said that toilet provision should be free, the council is considering removing charges from four of its toilets. The council also has plans for a “flagship” public toilet and visitor centre in the city centre.
Gwynedd Council in North Wales were praised for having the highest number of toilets in Wales with 61 public toilets and 39 as part of its Public Facilities Grant Scheme. Taunton Council reported that complaints about toilets had dropped since they had taken over the cleaning and ‘Honesty Boxes’ in Builth Wells had netted the council over £500 towards their toilet provision.
The Bad
Vandalism is the bane of the public toilet’s life for both the council providers and the public who want to use the loo… Whilst graffiti can be unpleasant and offensive, wilful damage often takes the toilet out of service. This can cause horrendous problems for people who use a certain loo as part of their daily routine, especially older and disabled people, people managing health conditions and families with young children. Since January there have been 10 reports of UK toilets having to close due to vandalism. In Dareham Norfolk, the public toilet was closed due to it being deliberately set on fire. The perpetrator was caught and charged and the council then installed a live webcam to monitor the entrance to the loos. However, Ashbourne Council in Derbyshire who had installed CCTV to monitor it’s provision because of vandalism, was reported by the BBC that it appeared the cameras could view the entrance to the toilet cubicle. It would be interesting to know if this report has resulted in less people using this particular set of loos.
Sadly, crimes of a sexual nature are also reported to have taken place in toilets. Since January, six such incidents have taken place, all in the men’s toilet provision.
Toilets are often reported closed for maintenance. There have been four reports of these closures this year. However, two toilets in Peacehaven and Loddon Staithe were reported to have reopened after successful refits following vandalism and a sewage leak.
The Problems
A number of news reports have commented on how restricted opening hours are resulting in anti-social behaviour coming from people peeing in the street and in some cases pooing. Haringey Council in London have decided to instigate heavy fines if people are caught doing this, whilst residents in Hackney (London) and Plymouth recognise that the lack of public toilets causes anti-social behaviour such as "weeing on walls".
The decline in general of public toilet provision has been noted and actively campaigned against by Age UK London. In Scotland closures have become a political issue, and in Wales, planned closures have people worried about going out.
The financial pressures many councils have has also resulted in planned closures in Dartmoor and Cambridge. It is particularly sad to see two specific toilets close in Cambridge. The first is in Victoria Road, an architecturally designed facility that became affectionally known as the 'armadillo', and the second a similarly specially-designed provision at Gonville Place known as 'the roundabout'. Such planned closures in Cambridge (as elsewhere) have been called “madness” after public consultation which found 61% of people were against closures and recognised that such closures would lead to increased street urination.
A number of news reports this year have focused on the other uses of public toilet buildings. A toilet in Whitley Bay was used as a location shoot for a TV drama, and provision in Wiveliscombe has refurbishment plans that include a community space. However, most of the Loos in the News focused on how toilet buildings were being reused not as loos. The BBC reported on closed public toilets being converted into homes and a theatre. Toilets in Bristol were being considered for new eateries (remember what goes in must come out). Toilets in the Isle of Thanet may be converted into flats (we do have a housing problem but we also have a public toilet problem). Westminster has agreed planning permission for one of its subterranean toilets to be converted into a bar (hopefully future customers will ‘go’ before they go), whilst South Shields are turning their public toilets into self service dog wash stations.
People Power
Loos in the News often results in people taking action. A resident in the Westmorland area complained directly to the Local Government Ombudsman the use of card chargers for toilets being discriminatory against people who do not have access to electronic payment methods. However, the Ombudsman found they could not act as the decision was at a Town Council level. In contrast, residents of Eastbourne were in favour of card payment systems being installed if it meant the toilets stayed open.
A resident of Stourbridge has launched a campaign calling for a rethink of planned loo closures, and residents of Llanrwst are hoping to stop the planned demolition of one of their toilet facilities. Reports of coach tours already not stopping at the popular tourist area will no doubt have a ripple effect for local businesses.
It is not only residents who take action. A visitor to Bournemouth was reported to be unhappy with toilet provision at the popular beach. In response a member of the local council commented that more toilets would be open as the "summer season begins". As our weather becomes more erratic perhaps local councils should be more responsive, especially given the economic benefits of out-of-season sunny spells.
Many residents will write letters to their local papers about their local provision. A resident of Bournemouth asked ‘what’s happened to all the public toilets?’. Many seaside towns close provision off season, but this often causes problems for residents who rely on loos all year round. A letter in Scotland detailed how the lack of provision affected everyone, especially women who make up the majority of caring roles, and have aspects of biology to manage (pregnancy, periods and menopause). Letters in Salisbury warned of ‘serious consequences’ and the ‘crazy decision’ of planned closures.
And Finally
There will always be odd news about toilets. Although not a public loo, the BBC reported on the inside story of the theft of the gold toilet at Blenheim Palace, whilst in Sheffield, Handsworth and Hallam Theatre Company are staging the award-winning show ‘Urinetown’ in which water shortages make private toilets illegal, so citizens have to pay to use the public loos. I think this calls for a day out for the Toilet Map team.
It will be interesting to see how these news stories develop. Will toilets be saved? Will toilets be built? See you in August for the next Loos in the News round up.