Why are so many public toilets closing?

14 November 2026 · 3 min read

If it feels like there are fewer public toilets than there used to be, you’re right. Hundreds of council-run toilets have closed across the UK since 2010, and in some towns there are now none at all.

How many have closed?

A BBC investigation using Freedom of Information requests found that the number of toilets run by major UK councils fell from 5,159 in 2010 to 4,486 in 2018, a drop of about 13%. In 37 areas, the main council no longer ran any public toilets at all. Closures have continued since then in many areas, while some toilets have reopened under new management.

Why are they closing?

In England, councils have no legal duty to provide public toilets, and there’s no specific government funding for them. That makes them an easy target when budgets are squeezed. A public toilet costs money every day it’s open: cleaning, water, electricity, repairs, and dealing with vandalism and misuse. Older blocks often need expensive work to make them accessible.

Until 2020, councils also had to pay business rates on their own public toilets. In 2021, Parliament passed the Non-Domestic Rating (Public Lavatories) Act, which removed business rates from buildings that are mainly public toilets in England and Wales, backdated to April 2020. It helped, but it didn’t cover the day-to-day running costs.

Rather than closing toilets outright, some councils have handed them over to town or parish councils, local businesses or community groups. Others have introduced a charge, or replaced old blocks with smaller self-cleaning units.

What about Wales and Scotland?

Wales has gone further than the rest of the UK. Under the Public Health (Wales) Act 2017, every council must publish a local toilet strategy, setting out how people’s needs will be met and reviewing it regularly. It doesn’t force councils to run toilets themselves, but it makes them plan for them, including toilets in shops, cafés and other buildings.

Who does it affect most?

Older people, many of whom plan trips around where the toilets are
Disabled people, and people with bowel and bladder conditions
Parents with young children, and pregnant women
People who work outdoors, such as delivery drivers, taxi drivers and street cleaners
People without a home, who may have nowhere else to go
Runners, cyclists and walkers, who rely on toilets in parks and the countryside

When people can’t be sure of finding a toilet, many simply stay at home. The Royal Society for Public Health’s 2019 report on public toilets argued that this affects people’s health, independence and social lives, and also hurts local shops and high streets, because people who can’t stay in town for long spend less there.

What’s being done?

Campaigners are pushing for change. In 2025, the British Toilet Association launched its “Legalise Loos” campaign, calling for a legal duty to provide public toilets. Many councils now run community toilet schemes, paying local businesses a small fee to let the public use their toilets without buying anything. These schemes cost far less than running a toilet block, though they only work while the businesses are open.

There’s been progress for disabled people too. The number of Changing Places toilets, with a hoist and adult-sized changing bench, has grown quickly in recent years, helped by government funding.

What you can do

Tell your council how much your local toilets matter, especially when closures are proposed. Councils often consult before closing toilets, and responses do make a difference.
Ask your local councillor whether your area has a community toilet scheme, and suggest one if it doesn’t.
Support the campaigns working for better toilet provision.
Keep the map up to date. If a toilet near you has closed or opened, use Fix details on ToiletSearch.uk, or tell us, so nobody makes a wasted trip.