England's public toilet count drops 14% since 2016, study finds

A study by the Royal Society for Public Health reveals that the number of public toilets in England has fallen by 14% since 2016, creating widespread 'public toilet deserts.' Based on over 200 Freedom of Information requests, the charity found one toilet per 15,481 people, compared to one per 8,500 in Scotland and one per 6,748 in Wales. Chief executive William Roberts warned that the shortfall discourages people from leaving home and leads to unsanitary conditions that degrade public spaces. The charity attributes the decline to a 26% reduction in local authority funding power since 2010, which has forced councils to cut non-discretionary services. It calls for central government and strategic authority funding, plus regulations requiring private developers to include public toilets in non-residential developments.