Provision, accessibility, and cost of public toilets
Case reference FOI2026/01570
Received 6 July 2026
Published 28 July 2026
Request
I am writing to request information regarding the provision, accessibility, and cost of public toilets maintained or operated by your local authority.
Please provide the following information for each calendar year from 2016 to 2026 inclusive (with the 2026 figure representing the data current to the date of this request). If fulfilling the entire historical period risks exceeding the appropriate cost limit under Section 12 of the Act, please prioritise the most recent years and work backward (e.g., 2026, 2025, 2024...) providing as many years of data as the threshold allows.
Questions: 1 -- Total Provision: How many public toilets did the local authority maintain, operate, or directly fund (including those operated via third-party contractors or parish partnerships on behalf of the council) in each calendar year?
2 -- Breakdown of Accessibility & Facilities: Within the total figures provided for each year, please break down: --> How many were free to use vs. how many required a fee/charge. --> How many offered full toilet facilities (defined as containing at least one toilet bowl/cubicle) vs. how many were urinal-only facilities.
3 -- Pricing: What was the maximum price charged for a single use at any of your public toilets in each calendar year?
Format of Response: In accordance with Section 11 of the Act, I request that this data be provided in a machine-readable, reusable format, preferably as a .csv or Excel (.xlsx) spreadsheet, structured by year. If you require any clarification to fulfill this request, please do not hesitate to contact me. I look forward to hearing from you within the statutory 20-working-day timeframe.
Response
I am writing to request information regarding the provision, accessibility, and cost of public toilets maintained or operated by your local authority.
Please provide the following information for each calendar year from 2016 to 2026 inclusive (with the 2026 figure representing the data current to the date of this request).
If fulfilling the entire historical period risks exceeding the appropriate cost limit under Section 12 of the Act, please prioritise the most recent years and work backward (e.g., 2026, 2025, 2024...) providing as many years of data as the threshold allows.
Questions:
1 -- Total Provision: How many public toilets did the local authority maintain, operate, or directly fund (including those operated via third-party contractors or parish partnerships on behalf of the council) in each calendar year?
Answer: Please see attached CSV sheet.
2 -- Breakdown of Accessibility & Facilities: Within the total figures provided for each year, please break down:
--> How many were free to use vs. how many required a fee/charge.
Answer: All free to use.
--> How many offered full toilet facilities (defined as containing at least one toilet bowl/cubicle) vs. how many were urinal-only facilities.
Answer: All offer full toilet facilities as defined in query.
3 -- Pricing: What was the maximum price charged for a single use at any of your public toilets in each calendar year?
Answer: Not applicable.
Format of Response: In accordance with Section 11 of the Act, I request that this data be provided in a machine-readable, reusable format, preferably as a .csv or Excel (.xlsx) spreadsheet, structured by year.
If you require any clarification to fulfill this request, please do not hesitate to contact me. I look forward to hearing from you within the statutory 20-working-day timeframe.
Documents
This is Herefordshire Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.
You can browse our other responses or make a new FOI request.