A new alliance beating the drum for more public toilets in London was launched on Tuesday, arguing that adequate loo access is “a fundamental right and a crucial public health matter”.
The launch of the London Loo Alliance was held on United Nations World Toilet Day (November 19), at a set of closed public loos on Broadwick Street in Soho.
Until recently, those toilets were one of the city’s last remaining free-of-charge subterranean public loos, and were famous for playing host in 1966 to a comedy sketch featuring John Lennon and Peter Cook.
The alliance’s formation comes just weeks after Transport for London set out its plans to spend £3m per year over the next five years to grow and improve toilet provision on the Tube network.
The campaign group is comprised of 14 organisations, all calling for better public toilet facilities “across the capital as a matter of urgency”.
Its members include Age UK London, the British Toilet Association, the Communication Workers Union, Inclusion London, The London Society, the Royal Society for Public Health and Soho Neighbourhood Forum, among others.
“This alliance of organisations, representing a diverse group of people in London, shows the strength of feeling that there is about this issue and the numerous ways that people are affected,” said the alliance’s coordinator, John McGeachy of Age UK London.
He added: “Access to a public toilet is a basic human need. This new coalition will be working very hard to ensure that not finding a toilet in London, especially one that is clean and maintained, becomes a thing of the past.”
The alliance points to a 2021 survey by the London Assembly of 3,504 Londoners, which found that 91.3 per cent of respondents do not feel toilet provision is adequate to meet their needs.
Research by Age UK London, conducted with older Londoners in 2022, found that nine in ten have considered the availability of toilets before making a journey and that over half have sometimes reduced the amount they drink before going out.
Cornelius McAfee, a campaigner for more toilets who became involved in the issue after suffering from prostate cancer, said: “I only became aware of the parlous state of our public lavatories after a couple of cancer treatments.
“I’m a keen cyclist and I found I needed to use the loo more frequently on my rides. I desperately hunted for public lavatories and what I found was truly shocking - none of the borough’s automated conveniences were functioning.
“Those that on a rare occasion were functioning were medieval in their level of filth - evidencing a complete lack of care and maintenance. Cafes and pubs are not always accommodating even when I produce my Bladder and Bowel Card.
“Clean, welcoming public toilets are the hallmark of a civilised society. The Romans understood this, but our local authorities don’t seem to. So many elders, mothers with children, youngsters and those with disabilities are limited in their activities because of the lack of accessible, well maintained and hygienic loos.”
Avnish Goyal CBE, chair of the Hallmark Foundation charity, which is supporting the creation of the London Loo Alliance, says: “People of all ages and backgrounds may get caught short while out and about.
“Access to toilets is therefore a critical issue for all of us and a key part of local infrastructure and a civilized society. We hope the new Alliance will make London a better city for everyone, building on recent plans for improved station toilets announced by the Mayor of London, and influence the provision of toilets across the country.”
