London public toilet closures revealed in Age UK report

Age UK London's Lifting the Lid report calls for “a better understanding of public needs”, based on Freedom of Information research showing a serious decline in public toilets.

Half of the 30 local authorities responding to the charity’s requests for information have not opened any new public facilities to spend a penny since 2014; only 11 have provided new loos.

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Those councils look after 650 toilets, not including those provided by places like shopping centres.

Some councils manage only one public toilet each, it has emerged. Fewer than half of the local authorities have a specific staff member who is responsible for public toilets, the charity discovered.

An unloved public toilet in Holloway (Image: Age UK London)

“Public toilets are essential for a civilised and welcoming city,” Age UK London’s John McGeachy said. “They can determine whether people feel able to leave their homes.”

More public loos are needed, particularly for the elderly and those with health issues, the charity insists.

The situation has led to local action groups springing up in some area like Barnet, Haringey and Islington, who are lobbying their town halls.

Lobbying at Haringey town hall for more public loos (Image: Age UK London)

The ‘Loos for Haringey’ group, for example, is now represented on the council’s ‘public toilets’ planning group and is supporting public consultations on the sensitive issue.

Meanwhile, ‘Loos for Islington’ campaigners have met the council twice and ‘Loos for Barnet’ has carried out its own audit which is now being sharing with the council.

This fine Victorian gentlemen's public lavatory in Commercial Street, opposite Spitalfields Market, was turned into a restaurant (Image: Google Streetview)

People know their neighbourhoods well and are often the best to advise councils on local needs and gaps in provision, the charity points out. A survey in 2022 found that one in two people avoided drinking water before going out of the house because they know there are not enough public toilets around.

Age UK is calling on local councils, the Mayor’s Office and TfL to open more loos and for the government to provide the cash for the public to be able to spend a penny at their convenience.