Toilets which are hotspot for cottaging put up for sale
By Jacob Phillips, Local Democracy Reporter
An infamous Central London cottaging spot could be transformed into an ice cream parlour or cafe.
Underground toilets in Broadwick Street, Soho, remain locked after they became a regular public sex hangout at the height of lockdown when social distancing was strictly enforced.
Now Westminster City Council has put the underground toilets on the market, meaning they could be bought and transformed into a cafe or a shop.
Emails between residents and the Met year revealed the spot was known to be one of the most popular gay sex – or cottaging – meeting points in the country.
A Met email said: “Broadwick Street toilets was listed as the top cottaging spot in the UK.
“This is all taking place directly in front of urinals, with no attempt to hide the behaviour from anyone that would want to use the toilets.
“When the toilets are open we receive calls about this on a regular basis.”
The toilets were also shut down after regular reports of drug use.
Speaking about the Broadwick Street toilets, Soho Society chairman Tim Lord explained said they could become “an ice cream parlour, cafe or even a bar.”
Mr Lord claimed Westminster City Council told the residents’ association the lease was of interest to a commercial business.
He added: “It will be ridiculous to close the public toilets in Soho. We have more drinking than we ever had.
“In Hopkins Street, you get people weeing on people’s houses and into people’s letterboxes.”
“During the lockdown, there was anti-social behaviour.
“There was a young child who walked in on the sexual activity. We understand that’s a serious issue.
“At the end of the night, men just urinate right next to the streets and sometimes right next to the closed toilets.
“I have reports of people urinating on front doors and they have to wash their doors down.”
The Soho Society has been calling for more public toilets in the area for the past 15 years and Westminster City Council is currently spending £950,000 a year cleaning up after peeing partygoers.
Pictured top: Broadwick Street public toilets in Soho (Picture: Owen Sheppard)
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