Shortage of public toilets leaving people to 'suffer', health leaders say
New calculations suggest there is now one public toilet for every 15,481 people in England
People are being forced to suffer because of public toilet “deserts” across England, health leaders have warned.
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New analysis by the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) found a “significant shortfall” in the number of public toilets, with facilities down 14% since 2016.
Its calculations suggest there is now one public toilet for every 15,481 people in England.
The figures are based on more than 200 Freedom of Information requests sent to councils responsible for providing public toilets.
The RSPH warned that a lack of toilets can lead to more people urinating in public, creating unhygienic conditions.
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It also said the shortage could have a knock-on effect on local businesses, after its research suggested some people avoid going out because of the lack of facilities.
Others restrict their fluid intake, risking dehydration, the RSPH added.
William Roberts, chief executive of the RSPH, said: “Access to public toilets is a universal need 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 make the difference between leaving the house or staying at home. For others, it can mean deliberately restricting fluid intake to avoid needing the toilet.
“The effects also go far beyond the individual. An insufficient number of public toilets has inevitable unsanitary consequences, creating unpleasant environments that degrade our public spaces.
“As a country, we can and should be doing better. We need to create public spaces where people want to spend time, and that means giving local authorities the resources they need to provide the facilities we all rely on.”
To help increase provision, the RSPH is calling for new strategic authorities to be placed under a duty to ensure there are enough public toilets in the places people go, backed by central government funding.
It also said developers should do more, calling for rules requiring public toilets to be included in developments containing non-residential units.
At present, local councils decide how many public toilets are needed in their area.
According to the RSPH, there has been a 14% overall fall in public toilets across England since 2016.
The picture is better in the devolved nations, with around 8,500 people per public toilet in Scotland and 6,748 in Wales.
A spokesman for the Local Government Association said: “The lack of public toilets can disproportionately affect vulnerable groups, including older people, disabled people, those with medical conditions, babies and children, and people sleeping rough.
“Funding pressures have caused councils to rethink provision. Maintaining a public toilet can cost a council £25,000 a year, and that figure is greatly affected by the condition in which facilities are left by previous users.
“Vandalism and anti-social behaviour cost councils millions of pounds a year, forcing them to invest in more regular cleaning and better security, meaning taxpayers foot the bill for vandalism in this most basic of public services.
“Many councils have tried to address gaps in provision by working with businesses on community toilet schemes.
“However, councils are acutely aware that gaps remain despite these efforts, for instance where businesses on high streets have closed.”
A spokesman for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: “To help councils provide public services like toilets, we’ve made more than £78 billion available for council finances, with local leaders free to decide how best to spend the majority of this.”
The RSPH’s figure of 15,481 people per toilet is based on FOI responses from 221 of 309 local authorities in England.
It said 47 million people live in those areas, representing roughly 82% of the population.
Councils were asked how many public toilets they had in 2016 and in 2025.