The Final Flush: How We’re All About to Lose Our Public Lavs

If the UK isn’t careful, we’re all about to be caught with our trousers down.

That’s right, the ever-dwindling number of public toilets on UK streets means we could be looking into a loo-less future, at least where our public facilities are concerned. 

In fact, research from our internal team has uncovered a shocking truth.

Public toilets in the UK are set to be extinct in the next hundred years!

An extinction fact so shocking, that it’s just sent a chill up David Attenborough’s spine. 

In the year 2000, there were 6087 public toilets in the UK. In the year 2021, that number had shrunk to 3990. That’s over a third of them gone in just over two decades. 

It’s no wonder why we’re panicked about where we’re supposed to go to the loo.

Why Should we Give a Crap?

The closure of public toilets isn’t just a minor inconvenience, it can have significant and far-reaching implications for the entire nation. 

A lack of public health and hygiene are two key risks when it comes to a lack of public restrooms. With no viable alternative - that doesn’t involve someone’s private establishment allowing you to use theirs - there's an increased risk of people resorting to unsanitary alternatives in places that don’t flush.

We don’t need to tell you that streets covered in wee are less than hygienic. In fact, they’re a breeding ground for bacteria and diseases.

It’s not just a hygiene issue, though. Accessibility is another key factor at play. For many people - especially the elderly, pregnant women and those with certain medical conditions - immediate access to a toilet isn’t just convenient, it's essential. 

So what happens when public facilities aren’t there if you’re someone who desperately needs them? You’d stop going outside, which could be catastrophic for people’s quality of life.

A Loo-k at the Fastest Declining Cities

Bog on the Tyne

The lack of public conveniences in Newcastle is so dire, that if the toilets were to carry on declining at the rate they have been for the last few decades - there wouldn’t be a single public toilet by 2030.

Birmingham, Plymouth and Manchester are next on the chopping block, with rates plummeting at such a speed that the three cities will face lavatory extinction by 2048, 2052 and 2059, respectively.

2077 may be a grave year for the toilets of Scotland - both Edinburgh and Glasgow will likely lose their city’s public loos in the same year. 

The problem will get worse and worse across the UK until we’re faced with the prospect of a loo-less Britain in 2105.

If all the toilets in Britain die out, that means we're in deep… trouble.

London’s Loos are Burning 

Taking a deep dive into the loo’s of London, we found that locals best prepare their bladders for peril.

By the year 2028 - in just five years time - public toilets may be as dead as the dodo in Hammersmith and Fulham.

Lewisham, Harrow, Hounslow and Merton can kiss goodbye to their porcelain thrones too, with rates of decline suggesting that collectively, the boroughs will have lost their public toilets by 2039. 

Let's Roll Together - Sign the Petition!

It's time to take action before we're all left crossing our legs in desperation. We can't let the future of our public toilets go down the pan. 

If you believe that every city deserves a decent place to do one's business, lend your voice. We've created a petition to make sure that public toilets remain a staple in our cities. 

Don't stall! If you give a crap about our public toilets, sign the petition now and make sure that by 2105, the UK isn't caught with its trousers down!

Methodology

Data on public toilets was found in the following ways:

• How many public toilets are in each area:
• FOIs:
• Several Freedom of Information requests have been submitted previously on the matter of public toilets in the UK to different councils. We exported as many as we could to outline where has the most public toilets in the UK.
• The Great British Toilet Map:
• For towns & cities where FOI data on public toilets was not readily available, we exported the extensive database on toilets available in the UK. As this data features all toilets, including private facilities, we utilised the previous FOI data and compared all results with public toilets to come to a percentage figure (47%) of public toilets compared to all available toilets.
• The Decline rate of public toilets:
• BBC:
• An interactive tool created by the BBC allows users to see the percentage chance for public toilets in most UK towns and cities based on postcode. For areas where this was not available, the region (ie, North West, East of England, etc.) was used instead. 
• Hansard:
• Records confirm there was a total 3990 public toilets in the UK in 2021. Records also confirm that in the year 2000, this number was 6087.
• By comparing the total number of toilets, with the record for decline, we can come to an approximate figure that shows the yearly decline of each toilet in the UK, which then allows us to approximate where in the country will go extinct first. Cities were selected for analysis, where the City of London was used rather than Greater London, and a separate analysis was completed investigating the individual London boroughs.