Edinburgh needs more public toilets – Helen Martin

I’ve often claimed that Edinburgh City Council is more concerned with pet projects rather than local services which residents need.
More public toilets would benefit locals and tourists alikeMore public toilets would benefit locals and tourists alike
More public toilets would benefit locals and tourists alike

It was last week I read the story of Tom Duane, a 60-year-old from Easter Road, who suffers from chronic cystitis and is forced to stay home because of the hideous lack of public toilets.

He is not an exception. Public loos are necessary for many. Most have been closed or knocked down around the city which was a careless decision and it’s urgent that dozens are installed.

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At least 50 per cent of women, and a lower rate of men, have had cystitis. Men with prostate problems need loos. Pregnant women frequently need a pee.

Anyone with an upset stomach or having eaten something dodgy needs a loo. Most people from 60 onwards, more frequently need the toilet than they ever did in younger years.

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But young folk having had a bevvy night often relieve themselves in tenement stairs or people’s gardens with virtually no public loos.

And how about our millions of tourists? They may be staying in hotels, B&B, Air B&B, caravans, but they spend days and nights moving round the city, and presumably they need access to public toilets.

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The creation of nice lavatories, perhaps with staff coming to clean them, possibly with even a small entry fee, wouldn’t just be for local residents’ convenience but an advantage to tourists of all ages.

There are pot-holes, cracked pavements, unemptied bins and other issues to be dealt with, but the obvious priority for our city is toilets.

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