Let us spend a penny to save the high street
SHOPPERS have called for public toilets to be reopened after locked loos hampered many people’s return to the high street.
People stayed away from stores this week because of a lack of open toilets, despite non-essential stores reopening.
Older people, mothers with babies and sufferers of conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Crohn’s disease or colitis have told how the issue put them off.
Alison Reid, chief executive of The IBS Network, said: “Our members have told us that unless public toilets reopen they will still be unable to venture out.
“Many people with IBS need urgent access to toilet facilities when they are away from their home.Anxiety plays a part in the condition and can trigger a flare-up and not knowing where the nearest toilet is will exacerbate this fear.”
The reopening of non-essential shops on Monday for the first time in three months meant footfall in England was up by 38.8 per cent compared to last week.
But many people chose to stay home as the number of visits to high streets in England was down 45.3 per cent compared to the same time last year.
Sarah Hollobone, of Crohn’s & Colitis UK, said shut toilets were forcing people with the conditions “further into the shadows” and heightening their isolation despite wanting to support reopened stores.
Safety
She said: “Although some people with the conditions are shielding, many can go outside, like the rest of the country.
“By locking public toilets you are preventing people who urgently and frequently need to use the loo from going outside to exercise, pick up their medication or shop, for food for fear of having an accident.”
The charities suggested retailers and councils should be allowed to reopen their toilets, provided social distancing is possible and stringent cleaning procedures are implemented.
Rowan Davies, head of policy and campaigns at Mumsnet, added that people looking after babies and young children were also reporting problems.
She said: “Dirty nappies need to be changed quickly and asking a three-year-old to ‘hold on until we get home’ is a recipe for disaster.
“Many women who’ve given birth, or who live with some disabilities, will tell you that easy access to toilets is non-negotiable.
“If we want these people back on the high street, or taking their families for days out, toilets will have to reopen.”
England’s larger shopping centres announced their toilets were open but many warned customers to expect longer queues because of a reduced capacity.
A spokesperson for Westfield shopping centres in London said it was “implementing reduced entry to toilet blocks to ensure social distancing”. Intu, which owns 16
A WOMAN with Crohn’s disease says she has felt discriminated against because toilets have not reopened along with the shops.
Toni Kelly, 43, has the inflammatory bowel disease and an ileoanal pouch, which means she has to use the toilet seven to eight times a day.
She says she has not yet visited shops because of anxieties over not being able to find a loo open.
Ms Kelly said: “If I’m planning a day out, I need to know where the toilet is. It’s a lifestyle for me and hundreds of others.
“Now you’re restricted, you feel discriminated against.”
The Heathrow airport worker has amassed more than 1,000 signatures on a petition for the Government to allow councils to reopen public loos.
Ms Kelly added that as well as not finding a toilet, she feared long queues for any that have opened.
She said: “Queuing is a nightmare because when you need to go, you need to go. Sometimes your stoma bag fills up and when you need to empty it, you need to empty it.
“And then there’s the anxiety and embarrassment of the time it takes in the toilet to sort yourself out.”
centres in England, including the Trafford Centre, said toilets and baby change areas were open but “the number available may be reduced to support social distancing”.
Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, added: “Retailers prioritise the safety of their staff and customers and stores will reopen toilets when they consider it safe to do so, adhering to government guidance.
“Customer toilets will require regular cleaning, including manual multi-person touchpoints such as door handles, flushes and taps.”