Councillors are queuing up to talk about public toilets at tomorrow’s Transport and Environment Committee, and now Age Scotland has thrown its pennyworth into the debate.
The national charity for older people has written to councillors demanding more public toilets in the city.
The council will discuss whether to invest in 15 current sites as well as six others which are possible locations. The recommendation is to concentrate on providing public toilets in premier parks, locations which attract a high number of visitors, such as Portobello Beach, each of Edinburgh’s town centres and at travel centres.
The charity points out that older people and disabled people need to know where there are public toilets to give them confidence to go out and about. They particularly ask that the public toilets in Colinton should be retained and have told the council to open all others up, making them safe to use,
They also point out to councillors that accessibility is key and that any charges to be levied should be considered carefully as many older people simply cannot afford it, nor do they have contactless cards to make payment.
Age Scotland’s Chief Executive Brian Sloan said: “Ensuring good access to clean, safe and accessible public toilets is so important and something which older people and people with disabilities raise with us regularly.
“This would be a positive investment in the city, for residents and tourists, and go some way to helping people feel confident to travel throughout the city, contribute to the local economy and improve their quality of life.
“We know that without good access to public conveniences many people, older and with certain medical conditions, can be discouraged from leaving their home which is harmful to their physical and mental health.
“While these new proposals look to the future, people must be supported to reconnect with others, take part in activities and boost the economy as a matter of urgency. It will be harder to support this, and tackle the effects of loneliness and social isolation, without ensuring that all existing public toilets are reopened.”
The Transport and Environment Committee will discuss the report which is shown below at tomorrow’s meeting which you can watch online here.
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Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
