Loos for Islington

Between 2015 and 2019 the Government of India built over 110 million toilets to ensure that the citizens of India, the most populous country in the world, had access to clean sanitation facilities. Islington Council please take note.  My most recent audit of our public lavatories shows that one new automated toilet is functioning, one temporary toilet is functioning and of course the attended toilet in White Conduit Street off Chapel Street is functioning. This in a borough with a population of a quarter of a million. Add to the tens of thousands of workers, students and visitors who arrive daily and who should have welcoming and clean facilities.  Since the establishment of our campaigning group, Loos for Islington, in October 2022, we have presented to the London Assembly among other public forums and have had local and national media coverage. Recently we joined with 13 other local and national organisations by the closed toilets in Broadwick Street, Soho for World Toilet day.

Remember the Victorian Loos? Multi Booth, polished mahogany doors, gleaming copper piping, clean ceramics, the whiff of dettol and an attendant to maintain standards. In one of our meetings with the council we were told that the defunct automated loos were old. I pointed out that they were only 20 years old and the functioning Victorian Loos that were closed were over a century old! Unmaintained automated loos are prey to a variety of anti-social behaviours. In January 2023 the Council in a letter to the Tribune said within two years they would replace the ‘old’ automated loos. It is very unlikely the deadline will be met.  The one new automated Loo is at Newington Green. It is well worth a visit and since September has had over 7000 satisfied customers. That means thousands of people are no longer sprinkling on the shrubbery where the statue of Mary Wollstonecraft stands proud. Remember, dogs can urinate almost anywhere but a needy human would be fined and humiliated if caught. I don’t wish to be churlish but automated loos are only single use, are prey to anti-social behaviour, can have mechanical and electronic difficulties and deprive someone of a job. The previous automated loos became broken, unhygienic and filthy. We have campaigned for the Council to engage with Islingtonians to see what we need and where we need it.  We hope to have a full debate in Council about what the people of Islington need. We don’t want people reluctant to go out and take part in life because of fears about the lack of clean available facilities.