One in seven public (or close to 13.5 per cent) of all council-run toilets have been shut down since 2010 in an attempt to cut costs, figures obtained from a recent survey of 218 district and borough councils in England has revealed.
According to a news report on the matter, in as many as 11 council areas, including some large cities, there are no public toilet facilities available anywhere. These councils included Liverpool, the City of Westminster, Wokingham, Epsom and Ewell, and South Cambridgeshire.
Raymond Martin, Managing Director of the British Toilet Association, said the closures would hit high street shops and tourism, adding that he was “extremely alarmed” by the decline in publicly accessible toilets.
“With the continuing lack of government directives and financial support we feel that the health and well-being of our residents and visitors is being greatly jeopardised each day,” Mr Martin said.
"With diminishing footfall because shoppers and day trippers cannot properly relieve themselves, this significant increase in public toilet closures has perpetuated an economic decline in local businesses and community infrastructure.”
Although cash strapped council do have to do their best in order to maintain vital services and cut back wherever they can, implementing an access restriction system and charging for access within these public conveniences might be something they should take into account, on the long-term, and this is exactly where Toilet Turnstiles could really puts its experience to good work.
Our toilet turnstiles are built from graded stainless steel, for easier cleaning and maintenance, and also come equipped with lockable lids to prevent unwanted access. Furthermore, the separate coin box offers very versatile mounting options, as it can be installed either in front of the turnstile, at the side or alternatively, on the wall, with the cash box at the rear.
The turnstile’s coin mechanism can be programmed for virtually any combination of coins with a secure cash box to hold them, while the additional counters for the number of entries made will enable a thorough level of control over the system’s operation.
If you need some additional information regarding our extensive range of products, just get in touch, we’ll be sure to answer any and all of your queries.