With millions of pounds cut – how can the public spend a penny?

A new investigation by UNISON asks if public sanitation is being put at risk by slashed public convenience budgets. As workers across the UK prepare for their Christmas parties, the union is asking what facilities will remain for those who, full of Christmas spirit, need to relieve themselves on their way home. The figures, obtained as part of The Damage, the union’s ongoing investigation into the impact of public service budget cuts, reveal that £10.4m has been cut from public conveniences budgets between 2010/11 and 2012/13. This year Councils will spend just 87 pence on public conveniences for every £1 they spent in 2010/11. Ten councils have slashed over a quarter of a million pounds from their public convenience budgets, according to figures reported to the Government. Metropolitan councils have cut budgets by 33 per cent while shire districts have cut by only 10 per cent. Regionally the biggest cuts are in London and the North West. Beyond the issue of festive revellers getting home, there is a more serious health concern; for people who suffer from various illnesses and health conditions rely on being able to access public lavatories. The union said that while everyone needs access to public toilets, it can also be a particular problem for parents with children and the elderly. The question of public health is also raised; if there are no public facilities available, there is the temptation for people to go in the street, spreading germs. Heather Wakefield, UNISON national secretary for local government said: “We have come a long way from the Victorian sewer-streets, awash with human waste. It should be the measure of civilised society whether people can go to the toilet when they need to, without having to pay, yet, as our investigation has uncovered, the scope to do so is being cut in many councils. “This is not just about revellers, and those who have had too much Christmas spirit; there’s a serious public health concern that needs to be addressed. For thousands of people suffering from long-term or chronic illness, waiting until you get home is simply not an option. “Relying on the goodwill of cafes, pubs and restaurants is simply not good enough – particularly when ‘customers only’ is a regular policy for businesses. “Environmental health cuts are posing a significant risk to the public’s health, savings need to be made, but they must not be made at the cost of people’s health, public sanitation and basic human need.” ENDS