A new campaign has been launched to bring back public toilets across Newcastle.
Like many authorities across the country, Newcastle City Council shut down its public conveniences as a cost-cutting measure – with the last closing in 2012. After the demise of the city’s WCs, some have been given a new lease of life – with the underground Victorian toilets in the Bigg Market and the ladies’ loos on High Bridge now both turned into trendy bars.
But tenants’ union ACORN is now calling on city officials to think again about the provision of public toilets on Tyneside and spend a few civic centre pennies to make new ones available in busy areas like the Quayside and Shields Road in Byker. The council confirmed that it has secured funding to open two new accessible toilets, to be located at the civic centre itself and at Northern Stage, and said it would “always look to open new toilets when maintenance costs are affordable”.
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Hollie Middleton, of ACORN’s Newcastle branch, said: “It is impossible to find a toilet in most areas in Newcastle and the ones that there are, like in the Grainger Market, are not open 24/7. I think it is hard for anyone to argue against having public toilets. Everybody needs them and we know that the lack of them particularly impacts on the needs of the elderly, disabled people, people with bladder and bowel conditions, and the homeless.”
With the city council’s new leader-elect Nick Kemp having promised a “reset” at the civic centre, the union is hoping that funding could be freed up to install and maintain more toilets – particularly as the local authority is planning a £50m overhaul of the city centre, including the pedestrianisation of Grey Street and Blackett Street.
Hollie added: “You should not have to pay to exist in public spaces, people should be able to go to the loo for free.
“We want new toilets to be accessible, well-maintained, and free to use. I know in some areas where they have been reintroduced there is a small charge and that is often via contactless card, which obviously prevents some people from using them.
“People might also say that they could attract crime and be used for drug taking and so on. But public toilets also help reduce crime because they prevent public urination.
“We should not be automatically tarring people as criminals. Just trust the public and let them have their basic needs.”
After the closure of council-run toilets in Newcastle, which also included conveniences on Shakespeare Street and Side, a ‘use our loos’ scheme was launched encouraging businesses to open up their facilities to non-customers. A council spokesperson said: “Like many councils hit by Government budget cuts during austerity, we were forced to shut down our on-street public toilets as we could no longer afford to maintain them.
“As an alternative we supported a campaign which encouraged public access to toilets in shopping centres and other city centre places while promoting our remaining toilets in the Grainger Market, City Library and Civic Centre which are still available during opening hours.
“In addition, we have been successful in securing £60,000 of Government levelling-up funding for two Changing Places toilets. These are fully accessible and are equipped with hoists, to help adults get on the toilet, and continence changing pads, and are being installed at the Civic Centre and Northern Stage with the former expected to be open by October.
“As a major city, Newcastle was not alone in closing public toilets, but when funding becomes available, we always look to open new toilets when maintenance costs are affordable. We would like to remind everyone that there are also public toilets in Eldon Square shopping centre.”
