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Agenda item

Public Toilet Update

Purpose

To provide and update on the public conveniences managed by Cotswold District Council.

 

Cabinet Member

Councillor Paul Hodgkinson, Cabinet Member for Health, Culture and Visitor Experience

 

Lead Officer

Maria Wheatley, Parking Manager

 

Minutes:

The purpose of the report was to provide and update the Committee on the public conveniences in the district.

 

The report was introduced by Councillor Paul Hodgkinson, Cabinet Member for Health, Culture and Visitor Experience and Maria Wheatley, Parking Manager. The report was introduced and the following points made:

  • Of the 11 recommendations made by the Task and Finish Group, all but one had been addressed.
  • Of the four free public toilet sites, Tetbury, Chipping Campden, Lechlade, and Northleach, charging had been considered and was introduced at three sites in August. Northleach Town Council had chosen to assume ownership and management of the service from 1 April 2026.
  • Replacement paddle gates had been installed at Bourton on the Water.
  • Signs had been installed that explained the charges, indicating that the service was discretionary rather than statutory.
  • The one outstanding recommendation, to encourage local businesses to make their toilets available to the public and register them on public toilet apps, was considered but deemed impractical due to challenges in persuading businesses to participate.
  • Plans were in place to increase the frequency of cleaning at Stow-on-the-Wold and Bourton on the Water, as these sites experienced the highest levels of usage due to tourism.

 

In questioning and discussion, the following points were noted:

  • The contract was reviewed and some cleaning frequencies were reduced or tailored to individual sites to manage costs. Savings were sought during re-tendering, but overall contract costs were not reduced as hoped. Efforts to encourage town and parish councils to take on toilet management were also largely unsuccessful and had been discontinued.
  • An agreement had been reached with Northleach Town Council, who would assume ownership and management of facilities from 1 April 2026. No other councils had expressed interest to date. In the context of forthcoming local government reorganisation, during recent forums, Parish and Town Councils were encouraged to initiate conversations should they wish to explore taking on such discretionary services in future.
  • Usage trends, cost pressures and any planned increases in cleaning frequency would all be considered as part of the budget-setting process. It was noted that current charges did not cover the full cost of the service, and that any proposed changes would need to balance cost recovery with wider cost-of-living considerations. Cabinet would review all relevant data before agreeing future fees.
  • Seasonal increases in cleaning were identified as a possible approach to reflect higher usage, and this would be explored further with the contractor. The concept of dynamic pricing between summer and winter was a potential option, though no commitment was made and further consideration would be required.
  • As the facilities’ charges did not cover their operating costs they required subsidies, so any council taking them on would need to determine whether to continue subsidising the service or increase charges to meet full costs.
  • The possibility of funding accessible toilets through a health-related budget was raised, given the clear links to wellbeing. Whilst no suitable budget existed within the Council, it was agreed that officers would explore whether NHS or health-partner funding streams existed, and whether other councils had adopted similar approaches.
  • The surplus from the Council’s car park account could be used to support certain services, including public conveniences. The financial breakdown showed that last year the cost of providing public conveniences exceeded £100,000 beyond what the car park surplus could cover. The Deputy Chief Executive Officer confirmed that the full surplus was already allocated to eligible services.
  • The uncertainty around local government reorganisation details made future service planning difficult. All services would need transition plans, and it was confirmed that any contracts in place on 1 April 2028 would be novated to the new unitary authority.

 

The Committee noted the actions and progress since May 2025 as outlined in the report.

Supporting documents:

 

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