BTA urges retailers to open their toilets to the public

The British Toilet Association (BTA) has urged retailers to open their toilets to the public after the number of public facilities in the country slumped from 3,955 in 2000 to 2,414 this year.

Retailers are being asked by the association to join a Community Toilet Scheme as part of its ‘Use Our Loos’ campaign. The BTA says it is aiming to reduce the “toilet stigma” on the high street over those using the toilets of a business without making a purchase.

The BTA says its new campaign will help to “drive footfall” to participating businesses and will allow them to display ‘Use Our Loos’ signage in order to do so. Participating businesses will also receive a marker placed above their location on the BTA’s ‘Great British Public Toilet Map’ app, along with free cleaning products and assistance.

Raymond Martin, director of the BTA, said: “We know councils are under immense pressure with their budgets and despite having no legal obligation to maintain these public facilities they have continued to try to halt the rapid rate of decline. ‘Use Our Loos’ is a community-oriented solution not about opening more public toilets but making more toilets public that already exist.”

Council cuts are said to be the main reason for the loss of British public toilets according to the BTA.