Plan to create more public toilets on transport network is rejected

By Noah Vickers, Local Democracy Reporter

A plan to create more public toilets at Tube and bus stations across the capital has been rejected by City Hall, despite most London Assembly members voting in favour of it.

The £20million proposal, put forward by Green Party members, attracted support from the Assembly’s Liberal Democrat and Conservative groups – meaning a majority of Assembly Members (AMs) were behind it.

It was voted down by the Labour group, however, preventing it from achieving the required two thirds of support among AMs.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said he would instead be willing to put funding aside for a feasibility study to explore the concept.

The proposed amendment to the Mayor’s budget was put forward at a meeting on Thursday of last week by Green AM Caroline Russell, who said: “You all know the case for investing in more public loos for London.

“If we want London to be an inclusive city to visit, live and work in, then providing accessible toilets on the transport system is a basic necessity.”

The motion put forward by Ms Russell proposed spending £20million from City Hall’s reserve funds, which she estimated would pay for 70 new toilets across the network, including six ‘Changing Places’ toilets for disabled people.

In a plea to her Labour colleagues to support the motion, Green AM Siân Berry said: “We know the money is there in reserves, we know that the Mayor is planning to use those reserves, we know we’re expecting press releases from the Mayor, so why should we as an Assembly not have a press release too, doing good for Londoners? People will absolutely appreciate that.

“I would just like to ask Labour – please don’t block these toilets just because the idea doesn’t come from the Mayor. This Assembly has its own job to do, and if you don’t do this, people will start to wonder what the point of Labour Assembly Members is. So please join us, do something fantastic to give Londoners real relief.”

Mr Khan said: “TfL will undertake a feasibility study in relation to more toilets for the public being made available on the transport network.”

The Mayor said that installing toilets was a more complex process than many recognise – something he had realised only after a programme of installing water fountains across the city.

Pictured top: London Mayor Sadiq Khan (Picture: PA)