Legislation and Government Advice on Public Toilets

Here you will find a summary of the laws and regulations pertaining to public toilets. Danfo would also be happy to help you interpret these in relation to your situation.

Provision

The provision of public toilets is primarily a responsibility for Local Authorities. Conditions for this are set out in:

  • 1936 Public Health Act:  Allows Local Authorities to charge for public toilets; with the exception of urinals. (REVISED recently – see 2008 Sex Discrimination Act (amendment).)
  • 2008 Sex Discrimination (amendment to regulation):  Allows Councils to charge for the use of urinals. This has provoked great controversy.
  • 1963 Public Lavatories Turnstiles Act:  Outlaws the use of turnstiles to enter public toilets.

Recent Government Advice

While there is no requirement for Local Authorities to provide public toilets, there has been a recent focus on the importance of good facilities. The following government papers explain some of the reasons behind this:

  • 2008 Government publish Improving Public Access to Better Quality Toilets – A Strategic Guide   
  • 2008 Government Paper on the Provision of Public Toilets:  Outlines to Councils the good practice approach to Public Toilets

Accessibility

All public buildings must be accessible. Building regulations can be found in:

  • 1995 Disabled Discrimination Act:   The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) aims to end the discrimination that many disabled people face.  It outlines the requirements for all bodies to offer equal access to toilets, in terms of locations and accessability.
  • Building ‘M’ Regulations:  Outline of the dimensions and layout requirments for a toilet to be compliant with the DDA Act.  The regulations are slightly flexible and  are subject to some local interpretation.

Sexual Activity

In addition to general criminal laws, there are also provisions on sexual acitivity in public toilets:

  • 2003 Sexual Offences Act 2003 (section 71):  Makes sexual activity in a public toilet a criminal offence.

Toilet-issues