Health risk claim on £10m toilet cutback
More than £10 million has been cut from spending on public conveniences in the past two years, posing a risk to public health, according to a new study.
Some councils have slashed more than £250,000 from their budgets, with the biggest cuts in London and the North West regions. And there have been major reductions across the West Midlands and Staffordshire. Cannock Chase District Council, which covers Cannock, Lichfield and Rugeley, has closed all five of its public toilets over the last decade.
Walsall Council recently announced that six toilet blocks in its districts faced possible closure.
Dudley has been one of the worst hit areas over the last 10 years, with eight of its 23 toilet blocks closed last year as part of a programme of cuts, and a further convenience in Court Street, Stourbridge, is also due to shut.
But councillors are looking into the possibility of reopening some of the blocks which have been closed.
The research, by Unison, found that councils across England are spending 13 per cent less on maintaining and repairing conveniences compared with the 2010/11 financial year.
Heather Wakefield, national officer of Unison, said: "We have come a long way from the Victorian sewer-streets, awash with human waste. It should be the measure of civilised society whether people can go to the toilet when they need to, without having to pay.
"This is not just about revellers, there's a serious public health concern that needs to be addressed. For thousands of people suffering from long-term or chronic illness, waiting until you get home is simply not an option."
