Edinburgh's reopened public toilets see increased usage on last year

ALL but one of the public toilets which have re-opened since the Covid lockdown saw increased usage last month compared with the same period last year despite shorter opening hours.

Seven public loos in Edinburgh have been open again since July

Seven loos - at Bruntsfield Links, Cramond, Hawes Pier, Hope Park, Pipe Lane, Ross Bandstand and Saughton Park - have been open daily, 11am-6pm, since July. Only Hawes Pier saw a drop in usage - which is likely to be linked to the absence of cruise liners disembarking at South Queensferry.

And Green Morningside councillor Melanie Main said she was aware of queues outside toilets before they opened. "It did indicate on a Saturday mroning there might be good reason to be open slightly earlier.”

And Cllr Main told the council's policy committee there should be more signs to flag up where toilets were available.

“At Bruntsfield Links the only way the toilets are visible is if you walk up the path from Bruntsfield Place. If you're anywhere else on the links there is no signage whatsoever and you can't see the toilets.

“I have stood talking to staff and discovered people holding their children up to urinate on the back wall of the toilets because they weren't aware they were public toilets or they were open.

“If we do have toilets open we need to make sure people are aware of the facilities.”

He was told the council would look into waymarking signs on the main paths across the park.

The committee also heard the community toilet scheme – where businesses are paid £500 a year to allow the public to use their loos – currently had only five businesses operating it.

Green councillor Alex Staniforth asked if it was “a bit of a failure”. An official said the scheme had been launched in 2015, targeted in ten areas where toilets were due to close. It had not been possible to get businesses in all the areas – no business in Portobello had taken up the scheme.

And she said: “We haven’t actively promoted the scheme since then. We haven’t had lots of businesses contacting us, but I think that’s something we need to review.”

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