Bristol City Council is changing the way it provides public toilets, following the closure of 18 public toilets across the city.
The council is replacing the public toilet provision with a ‘Community Toilet Scheme’. With the co-operation of a range of local businesses and organisations, this will allow members of the public to access toilet facilities across the city. Similar schemes are already successful in other authorities, and there is an aspiration for the new scheme to increase the number of public toilets in Bristol.
The aim is to make sure that at least 70% of provision is wheelchair accessible.
Deputy Mayor, Councillor Asher Craig, said: “We believe a Community Toilet Scheme will be able to provide cleaner, safer, and more accessible toilets in more convenient locations for residents and visitors to the city and that it is value for money.
“I would like to thank all organisations that have already signed up to the scheme and would encourage all Bristol businesses with public facing toilets to consider coming on board to help make a difference to the community.
“Our plan is to double the amount of publicly available toilet sites and ensure that they are spread across the city, but we cannot do this without the support of the business community. “My colleague, Cllr Harriet Bradley has been helping me to spearhead this work and I would like to thank her and all other councillors who have been promoting the scheme within their wards.”
Recruitment of businesses is currently underway and a number of organisations have already signed up across the city. The facilities in a number of council-owned buildings will also be made available. Participating organisations will be identifiable through dedicated signage.
The council is also working with Bristol Ageing Better to produce a paper-based map so that people can plan their trips with toilet access in mind. There will also be an online version of the map and prominent signage to highlight the toilets involved in the scheme. You can see the current list of toilets on Bristol City Council’s website.
If you are a business or organisation wanting to sign up for the Community Toilet Scheme, visit the website.
Author – Bristol City Council
