A South London borough may soon get more public toilets, after a councillor said people in the capital are less likely to leave their home over fears of not being able to go to the toilet.

Councillor Will Connolly said at a Bromley Council meeting on Monday evening: “One in five people do not go out as much as they would like to and suffer from loneliness because of concern over the lack of amenities and public toilets.”

The statistic comes after a report published by Age UK London last month said 81 per cent of Londoners are disappointed by the lack of public toilets in their borough.

The report also says 90 per cent of people consider whether a public toilet will be available when they leave home.

Councillor Aisha Cuthbert, portfolio holder for open spaces, was asked at the meeting about the number of public toilets in Bromley and the plans the council had for improvements.

Cllr Cuthbert said: “There are currently 30 public toilets across the borough, as part of our community toilet scheme and these are located in parks.”

Included in the 30 facilities are Changing Places toilets, which are specialised facilities including hoists and extra space for carers.

Cllr Cuthbert said: “The council has benefitted from £220,000 in government funding last year to prepare four changing places toilets for people with disabilities at sites across the borough.”

Bromley was one of ten London boroughs granted government funding in the Changing Places fund, as part of a £23.5million fund to improve disability access across the UK.

According to Age UK London, only 33 per cent of public toilets in London are accessible.

Cllr Cuthbert also said that the Crystal Palace Park Trust plans to invest in updating their public park toilets, with the park being the site of one of the new Changing Places facilities.

The public toilets in the park have previously been criticised by locals for their condition, with a petition last year aimed at properly maintaining the facilities gaining over 5,000 signatures.

The portfolio holder for open spaces responded to Cllr Connolly by saying the council would like to see more local businesses join the community toilet scheme, which allows residents to use the toilets in pubs and restaurants in the borough without making a purchase.

When told about the instalment of the new Changing Places toilets, Councillor Alisa Igoe said: “There’s more funding that’s coming out of that department of £6.5million. I believe Bromley is on the list.”

Cllr Cuthbert confirmed Bromley’s application for further Changing Places facilities as part of the next stage of funding.

Abigail Wood, CEO of Age UK London said on the recent report:  “Good public toilet provision is a hallmark of a civilised society and the fact that 81 per cent of people think that the availability of toilets in their borough is bad is a scandal.

“The ‘loo leash’, where people don’t leave their homes as much as they might like because of worries that they will not be able to find a public toilet, is a significant cause of social isolation.”

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