Stop taking the piss: the public toilet problem destroying cities
The article argues that public toilets are steadily disappearing from Britain and other Western cities, as cash-strapped councils close, sell or repurpose them to save money and cash in on prime real estate. This matters because toilets are essential everyday infrastructure, particularly for elderly, disabled, pregnant people or those with young children, and their loss can discourage people from going out at all, effectively excluding vulnerable groups from public life.
The piece highlights that London alone lost around 100 public toilets between 2015 and 2025, with fewer than 30 new ones opened in the same period. It describes people resorting to workarounds such as buying items at chains like Pret, McDonald's or Starbucks to obtain door keycodes, using department stores and supermarkets, or relying on social media and apps that share current bathroom codes, all while remaining toilets are often criticised as poorly maintained or unsafe.
- Public toilets are disappearing across the UK and beyond
- London lost about 100 public loos between 2015 and 2025
- People increasingly rely on shops, cafes and keycode workarounds
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Britain's public toilets have been quietly vanishing for years. Local councils, which fund and manage most public loos but face tight budgets, have been shutting them down, selling the buildings or converting them to other uses, since running toilets is expensive and the land they sit on can be worth a lot. This has been happening in towns and cities across the UK and other Western countries.
The change matters because public toilets are basic infrastructure that many people rely on, especially older people, disabled people, pregnant women and parents with young children. Without them, people in these groups can find it harder to leave the house or spend time in public spaces, since they cannot be sure of finding somewhere to go.
In the gap left by closures, people have found workarounds, from buying something in a coffee shop or fast food chain to get a toilet door code, to using supermarkets, department stores or apps and social media groups that share current keycodes. The toilets that remain open are often reported to be poorly kept or to feel unsafe, adding to concerns about how well the remaining facilities serve the public.