Council defends £1 charge for new public toilets

A council has defended a £1 charge for new city centre public loos, which include some "squat-style flushing toilets".

The toilets on Silver Street bridge in Cambridge, where the main facilities are underground, replaced the old conveniences - which were prone to flooding - at a cost of nearly £1m.

Cambridge City Council said alongside standard facilities, "three squat-style flushing toilets, which are preferred by some international visitors, are available".

Katie Thornburrow, the Labour council leader, said the charge would allow for an attendant to be there six hours a day, and that the cost will be reviewed.

Thornburrow said: "I think the general consensus was that if we're going to provide toilets in Cambridge, which is not a statutory service but something we want to support, they need to be clean and safe for people to go to.

"This is our first toilet where there's electronic charging."

The council said the toilets were designed by award-winning architects, with a street-level wheelchair accessible toilet, plus baby changing facilities, and stairs to "the main redeveloped toilets".

The toilets are close to the 18th Century Mathematical Bridge at Queens' College, a popular site for tourists, while coaches often park nearby too.

There are other free public toilets in the city, whose council recently decided to re-open the facilities on Parker's Piece.

Thornburrow said the council had looked at other authorities' toilet charges, which varied between 40p and £1.

Heather Boyd, 60, from Orwell, told the BBC: "I need the loo right this minute. I saw it was £1 and I've just walked past and I'm going try and find a shop and go in as quick as possible."

She said it did "look state-of-the-art", but added: "I'd much rather they built just a normal set of toilets and charged nothing, than one really slick one and charged a pound."

Asked about using the squat toilet, Boyd said: "I certainly think if I'm going to spend £1, I'm not going to squat as well. That is absolutely crazy."

Lloyd, visiting from Boston in Lincolnshire, said: "I wanted to go spend a penny, and I spent a pound," adding that the charge was "extortionate".

Thornburrow acknowledged signage needed to be better at the toilets, and added that the council would be reviewing cost "probably after six or 12 months to see if it's working and what lessons we can learn".

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