Designing London’s Recovery

The Clerkenwell Green Preservation Society (CGPS) has been campaigning for some years to have the George Jennings Victorian toilets on Clerkenwell Green re-opened. Instead, we have lived with a beautiful public building and resource boarded-up and often graffitied.

https://clerkenwellgreen.org.uk/message-from-ann-pembroke-re-victorian-…

London Borough of Islington prefer to create a 'community hub'. Despite funds seemingly being allocated and approved, local councillors are silent on the issue of any progress at all. Not responding to emails from their constituents.

Lots of talk, consultation, plans, visions but little in the way of outcome.

I have stopped going out to all my old haunts since becoming disabled and needing the toilet a lot more than I used to.I would dearly love to use some of those wonderful community toilet schemes.
However you just try...Oh it's only for customers, sorry or Oh no it's upstairs, sorry etc etc.We used to have toilets at either end of our market and in the middle ( which is the longest in Europe) but they knocked em down to build yet more shops to be used as coffee shops, the staff of which will shake thier head and say community toilets...don't know anything about that.
This is only one example of just one popular place I would go to there are many many more where I could spend my Grey Pounds!

The use of a toilet is a basic human right. We should not have to pay to use the toilet. Maintenance should be covered by the council. Kings Cross station is a fantastic example of well maintained, free public toilets.

In general, town centres have plenty of Coffee Shops, Bars, Restaurants etc, all of which (generally) have toilets available to use.

The issue is that there are few public toilets in other places (i.e. away from shops and restaurants). As you get older, you do need to use these toilets more (and young children need them at any time anyway).

Removal of public toilets is seldom a good idea - businesses are becoming more restrictive in the use of their own facilities (understandably), so having public toilets still available becomes ever more important - not less so.

The main problem in Putney is the lack of public toilets after 8pm. Far too many people (mainly slightly inebriated) use the side roads off the High Street as public toilets in the evening. There are no toilets in the station - which adds to the problem. This is a public health problem that need addressing in the very short term.

This survey felt largely irrelevant to the topic. I am 74 and after a prostatectomy need to go to the loo perhaps 7 or 8 times a day. If I know I am going out I limit my fluid intake, although I know this can lead to gall stones. Areas with many public loos (eg Westminster) charge a lot and their loos are no longer clean. Sydenham has one public loo (by the station) which has been out of action for many years now. Some areas (eg Bromley) have got retailers to allow the public to use their loos, but only when they are open. The result is that any unsupervised / unlit area can become an informal loo. We just need more free loos...

There have not been any public toilets in Tooting for many years, except for the one in the Library which was unavailable during the lockdowns but is now open again. There are toilets in Sainsburys at Tooting Broadway but they have been out of order for about 6 weeks now. Another toilet is in Cafe Nero and it is not kept locked. People are allowed to use it without having to buy anything. The toilets in Tooting Market have always been kept locked until recently. A locked toilet is no use at all, because by the time you have stood in line to ask for the key, it may be too late. The Market toilets have now been kept open, not locked , and this is a a great improvement.

I am very embarrassed that we cannot provide proper public toilets in London.

Virtually all other European cities have good toilet provision.

There used to be toilets at Notting Hill Gate and at Golders Green stations but these have been closed for years.

But surprisingly at Golders Green they are still available for bus drivers but not for the public.

Most of the above ground Jubilee line stations had toilets but these have been closed for years now.

In contrast most Railway Stations have toilets and most of these are still available. If they can do it then why not TFL ???

Where possible I rely on toilets in shops or restaurants as they are better maintained than public facilities. The pandemic brought this in to focus for me - we were encouraged to take exercise outside and yet most of the public toilets were closed. I am unable to think of a good reason for this - it created a real issue and I used the app which helped you find ones which were open. It was embarrassing going into shops just to use the toilet - and not fair on them.

I really don't like the trend for unisex toilets where the hand washing area is public. I feel very uncomfortable adjusting hair and make up in a room full of men - it's undignified. If it is an entirely self contained unit with hand washing facilities that is fine - but no other model is acceptable.

The best model is separate male and female facilities, plus one self contained unisex/disabled unit if space allows.

Another ideal is a reliable app so which indicates when toilets are closed and when they will reopen. The ones on the south edge (Kensington) end of Hyde Park are a particular irritation.

Toilets should have a 9 to 5 janitor. A presence to ensure they are maintained.
Not thinking of 50 toilets in Ealing but one in each of the main shopping areas.
Use cameras on the way in and out. Put signs up that let people known antisocial behaviour or crime will be passed to the police.
Ensure the janitor has a "bolt" hole to await police rescue should inevitable gang of youths decend.
Find some way of working with police to move on vagrants who will inevitably use the facility to sleep in at night.
Top priority is paid and protectex janitor on £30k a year.

Public toilets at Westminster Pier were a disgrace. Filthy dirty, toilets blocked with toilet paper, floor disturbingly wet around toilets. Desperate foreign tourists with children unable to gain access because they had no 50p coin or 1 euro. Sad state of affairs, particularly given it's the seat of government, not that that should make a difference.

Factors I consider: Cleanliness, or likely cleanliness. If a public toilet appears that it will be disgusting from the outside, I won't even go in unless very desperate. Will never use those 'pod' style public toilets, they're a waste of money — scared of getting trapped and have seen too many disgusting ones to try again.
There is a desperate need for more clean public toilets in busy places, that have long opening hours. I see public toilets being closed, not opened, even in the very busiest parts of London (e.g. Carnaby Street) and it's a disgrace. Makes these areas less accessible for everyone, but particularly for those with less money (can't afford to get drinks in cafes etc to use theirs) or with particular needs (e.g. bladder/bowel disorders, those with young children, pregnant, or older people). It is a very under talked about issue that affects huge swathes of the population.
I do not mind if toilets are single gender or mixed gender as long as they are clean. I think mixed gender toilet spaces are better, and often more practical, particularly if there is an attendant on hand (so that anyone who is anxious can feel assured that the space is overseen).

The toilets in the Wellcome collection are a really glowing example of what public toilets should be. Accessible, mixed gender but with fully self contained cubicles (i.e. rooms not stalls, sink within), water fountain outside, and always immaculately clean.

The biggest factor is whether is public toilets are available at the time you want to use them.

The only public toilets in Putney are in the Library or the Exchange Shopping Mall. There is no provision in the evening or at night once these close.

Preferably the toilets would be free having an entrance fee is a deterrent to use but better that than no toilets at all.

I've done the survey - but this is nonsense. The Lambeth Council closed our public toilet in Brixton in 1986 and have always refused to re-open it come petition, come £multi-million TFL grants to Windrush Square etc etc.
Moreover the Police are adamantly opposed too - "toilets cause drug dealing and prostitution" I've heard them say several times at public meetings.
The truth about "what do you do if caught short?" (for me) is
a) head for a Wedtherspoons
b) find the nearest British Rail terminus - free toilets at present (how long though?)

You only have to look at facilities in Eutrope (France in particular) to see how poor our facilities are! Why do you suppose so many people use bushes in parks for a toilet (and it’s not just for a pee!). It’s near on impossible to find an open decent loo in London and certainly in Southwark! It’s a disgrace!

Public toilets are an important resource, but need proper funding so that they are regularly cleaned and feel safe to use. Park loos are usually reasonably maintained.