Community Toilet Scheme

Since the relaunch of the Community Toilet Scheme in June 2005, membership of the scheme has increased significantly.

As the first borough to introduce this initiative, Richmond Council's scheme won praise from Phil Woolas, Minister for Local Government, who backed the initiative when setting out a national strategy for public toilet provision at a seminar run by the British Toilet Association in July 2006.

Mr Woolas said: “An initiative such as the Community Toilet Scheme in Richmond is a positive step towards addressing the issue of a lack of public toilets and I applaud the Council for it.”

The scheme is a national first and has received significant interest from local authorities and other organisations nationwide.

How does the scheme work?

This programme enables local businesses like pubs, restaurants and shops, to work together with the Council to make more clean, safe and accessible toilets available to the public.

Members of the public can use toilet facilities during the premises opening hours and without the need to make a purchase.

Participating premises display one of these stickers in their window:

Window stickers showing male, female and wheelchair accessible Community Toilet Scheme Members.

What about wheelchair access and baby changing facilities?

Currently approximately one third of our scheme members offer wheelchair accessible facilities and approximately one quarter provide baby changing facilities.

DisabledGo provides free detailed access information for disabled people across the UK.

Where to find out more

The leaflet 'Your Guide to the Community Toilet Scheme' can be picked up from Council offices, libraries, tourist information centres, hospitals and doctors surgeries and contains a map showing where the scheme operates(pdf, 2298KB)  and a list of premises that participate in the scheme.

The map is intended to indicate the area where the scheme operates and does not show exact locations of the premises or indicate all members of the scheme. The leaflet is correct at the time of going to print in June 2006 but information contained within it is subject to change as membership of the scheme may change. For an up-to-date list of members of the scheme you should refer to the table below.

To order your copy of the leaflet, find out more about the Community Toilet Scheme or to comment about any of the toilets provided through the scheme call 08456 122 660.

Information is displayed on the Council's community noticeboards in the areas where the scheme operates.

To find out how your business can join the scheme email communitytoilets@richmond.gov.uk.