Labour block new public toilets for Londoners

Greens today proposed an amendment to the Mayor's Draft Budget 2023-24 to invest £20 million in new, free toilets at TfL stations, but it was blocked by the Labour group. [1]

Green London Assembly member Caroline Russell says:

“Despite warm words and many years of cross-party support for more loos for London, the Labour group today chose to vote against my amendment.

“This was a fully costed and feasible plan for new, free toilets at TfL stations, which would mean more accessible toilets for everyone if the Mayor took it up.

“Labour seem unwilling to put their money where their mouth is on this issue, and they will need to answer to older and disabled people and the workers getting around our city who are losing out as a result.”

Amendment notes

• In this amendment, we propose providing £20 million for new, free toilets at Transport for London (TfL) stations, and ensuring accessible toilets are available in new toilet blocks. This is a one-off capital investment in infrastructure, making good use of unallocated Mayoral reserves. Future maintenance costs would be offset by increased accessibility of the network, leading to additional fares revenue for TfL.5
• The money committed to this amendment is estimated to be able to add 32 new automatic toilets, 32 new toilet blocks with accessible toilets, and six Changing Places toilets alongside new or existing accessible toilet blocks. 
• This funding would include £100,000 to run an open competition to explore how new toilet kiosk provision at the ends of outer London bus routes could best fit into the public realm while improving conditions for bus drivers.
• It would also provide an investment of £100,000 to support the improvement of existing digital resources carrying information on publicly accessible toilets, such as the Great British Toilets Map, Toilets4London and TfL Go.
• This part of our amendment is funded using £20 million from the unallocated Transport Services Funding Reserve of £100.3 million.