The ongoing closure of many public toilets across the UK is having a serious impact on wellbeing, limiting people’s capacity to exercise freely or visit loved ones, and creating a significant secondary public health risk as people have no option but to relieve themselves in the open, a Guardian callout and investigation has found.
With reports of bushes in city parks stinking of urine, and human excrement in sand dunes, readers across Britain have described their anxiety, distress and frustration as public toilet closures – coupled with the absence of alternatives in bars, restaurants and public buildings – curtails their daily movements.
This is especially the case for women, who are taking extreme measures such as deliberately dehydrating themselves or find they are confined to home during their period. A pregnant woman from London told how she developed a urinary tract infection after being unable to find a toilet on a trip to Hyde Park. For those with health conditions and disabilities that bring continence problems, the situation is even worse: some describe themselves as essentially housebound. Key workers and volunteers making lengthy round trips to deliver essentials are likewise affected.
As some public facilities start to reopen, a chaotic picture emerges with local officials struggling to balance exponential demand with public safety and without clear guidance from government. Public facilities have been badly neglected or shut in recent decades, and the remaining network is under huge pressure to quickly adapt often older buildings that are not easy to modify for distancing requirements or new technology like sensor taps.
While Scotland’s national parks have called for urgent guidance on reopening public toilets safely and consistently, local councillors for beaches and beauty spots across England have expressed frustration at Boris Johnson for encouraging people to drive significant distances, but not providing specific guidelines on reopening toilets or support to upgrade to ensure safety of residents and visitors.
John Saunders, the mayor of Windemere and Bowness, Cumbria
We are desperate for advice and assistance. Our local toilets are used by up to 350,000 visitors each year, but there’s been very little information from larger councils or government apart from ‘wash your hands’.
We’ve had an influx of visitors but there are so many difficulties that for now we only have plans to open the disabled toilets as these are individual cubicles. We’re really worried that public toilets could be a very serious problem that will spread the covid virus around again.
There are funding problems but the main thing is health and safety. Cubicles need to be cleaned, potentially after every visit, which means the toilets being closed for 15 minutes every time somebody leaves. Hand-dryers have to remain off because if someone doesn’t wash properly they can spray infected water everywhere. There’s no way we’re going to satisfy the millions who come in August, especially if more people are staying in the UK for their summer holidays.
Emily, Leith, north Edinburgh
I live by the shore, a heavily populated area with lots of pubs and bars. Some are now operating as ‘takeaways’, selling draught beer in large four-pint milk jugs and attracting large numbers of customers on sunny days.
Fair enough, but none of these establishments are able to open their bathroom facilities, and with no public toilets open anywhere nearby, people are relieving themselves down the quiet residential side streets, including the street where I live. In just one hour on Saturday evening, I counted over 25 men pee against the side of my house.
I feel conflicted, as I am glad these smaller local businesses have been able to find a way to continue functioning during this tricky time, but this is deeply unpleasant. With pubs potentially not reopening indoor spaces until later, it could be a long hot stinking summer.
Sam Griffin, Wirral
I do feel the loo lockdown is discriminatory. I understand why they have done it, but throughout lockdown the needs of disabled people have been overlooked and ignored.
The assumption now seems to be that people going out to beaches and parks will be able-bodied and continent. I enjoy visiting the coastline and country, but I have continence issues and public loos are are still closed in Wirral, so there’s no chance for me of anything but a brief five-minute look at the sea. I have a radar key but that’s useless if disabled toilets are bolted.
Access to toilets, including standard ones - is generally awful, but lockdown has made going out impossible. I think there is a perception that ‘not being able to hold it’ is infant-like and pathetic, rather than a serious need. So it isn’t taken seriously by people who’ve never had to plan their day around where the toilets are.
Marie, London
I’ve had to use the bushes and hidden corners, which is really embarrassing. Holding it in is also physically painful and not good for your urinary tract, but I’ve had to suffer for hours, since there aren’t many places you can squat in privacy in the city.
In some parks, certain bushes end up as designated loos with a queue to use them. It’s depressing – they are littered with discarded tissues and nowhere to wash your hands, which feels really strange given all the advice.
I live in a small flat with no garden, so I need to be outdoors to keep my sanity. When I go outside I basically have to purposefully dehydrate myself, which feels awful and is not healthy, especially on sunny days.