Proposed 50p charge to use public loos rejected

A proposal to add 50p charges to five seafront public toilets has been rejected by Brighton & Hove City Council.

The proposed charge had been expected to raise £70K for the council, and would only have focused on "really high-volume city centre toilets", the council said.

The former Labour MP for Brighton Kemptown, Lloyd Russell-Moyle, said the proposal "should never have been on the table".

He said it was a victory for campaigners, "ensuring people can still spend a penny for free!"

Representatives of the Youth Council and Older People's Council had said fees would disproportionately affect those who needed to use toilets more often or more urgently, such as disabled people, children and older people.

Tim Rowkins, cabinet member for net zero and environmental services, said he was "delighted" the city's public toilets will remain free.

"We had been exploring whether we could introduce a small charge for people visiting the city, but that would just be too complex and costly to manage," he said.

"These facilities are more than a public convenience – for many, they are the difference between getting out of the house and staying at home."

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