British Toilet Association
- Britain's public toilets were once the envy of the world
- In recent years, significant number of public toilets have been closed down
- We need more and better toilets
- Let's stop the rot
Our mission is to represent the interest and aspirations of 'away from home' toilet providers, suppliers and users of all types and to act as the catalyst for change inthe pursuit of standards of excellence in all areas of public toilet provision and management.
BTA CONFERENCE AND AGM - WEDNESDAY 15th SEPTEMBER 2010
See news item below for more details
BTA Summer Newsletter ready for download now (Adobe PDF format 5MB)...
Spending a penny at BHS…
Sir Philip Green the ninth richest on the British wealthiest list will not be aware that his store in King Street Jersey has closed its toilet facilities for customers.
The Jewish boy from Croydon made good, with his luxury pad in Monaco, the £32 millions yacht, the £20 millions Gulfstream private jet and 2,300 stores in the UK to worry about - will hardly even know about the toilet needs of his customers here.
At your convenience: the latest in customer service
Food to go? That's sooo 2009, daahling. You need to get down with the pump action because the latest hot trend for convenience store retailers is anything but a flash in the pan. In fact, if done correctly, it can leave you positively flushed with success.
Can you guess what it is yet? We're talking toilets, of course, and the fact that those little porcelain plumbing fixtures can be worth their weight in gold.
Four Thousand Years of the Toilet Seat
Have you ever sat and thought about who first acknowledged the need for a toilet seat? Who took the time to design and build the first one? Who thought that others might also like one and look the product to the mass market?
Loughborough Public Conveniences
Shoppers, businesses and visitors in Loughborough are being asked for their views on the future of public toilet provision in the town centre.
Charnwood Borough Council is launching a questionnaire, both in the town centre and online, to gather public opinion over the next three weeks.
Tourists horrified by state of Weymouth's toilets
Tourists have been left horrified by the state of Weymouth’s toilets.
John and Jenny Pitman regularly visit the town from Yeovil and like to visit Greenhill beach but they have been left angry by the state of the facilities.
Why were the toilets closed?
The 75th Anniversary concert at the Bandstand was an enjoyable occasion and well attended. The weather was mild, the audience enjoyed the music, the bar and the nearby coffee stall – but why on earth were all the toilets closed? Doesn't the council have a duty to provide toilet facilities?
New Public Toilets for Knaresborough
Nationally, there is public concern at the decline in public toilets but in the Harrogate district residents and visitors have welcomed news of Harrogate Borough Council’s investment. The latest to benefit is the town of Knaresborough where a brand new £150,000 facility is ready to open its doors at the bus station.
TACT³ Newsletter available
TACT³ (who promote ageing continence) have just released their latest newsletter. You can download the TACT³ Newsletter here ...
Southend Council does U-turn in Arches cafes loos row
SOUTHEND Council has said it will speak with traders to find a compromise over a row which broke out over the time it closes public toilets on the seafront.
New police toilet scheme is panned
POLICE in Cambridgeshire are being urged not to spend a penny on introducing a device that helps women officers respond to calls of nature.
An inquiry under the Freedom of Information Act has revealed that Cambridgeshire police was among the first forces in the country to trial Shewees, a portable urinating device.
BTA Conference and AGM - Wednesday 15th September 2010
We invite you to attend the BTA Conference on Wednesday 15th September at The Stratford Hotel Stratford on Avon which will be of interest to all BTA Members and other organisations and companies that are involved with any aspect of ‘away from home’ toilet provision.
A loo with a view?
After increasing numbers of public urination in Manchester, ‘pee pods’ have been introduced to reduce people revealing themselves in the street.
Baby Changing Facilities For Kent Mums “Horrendous”
Many baby changing facilities for Mums in Kent are “horrendous” or non-existent, according to a survey carried out by Kent Cleaning Solutions (http://www.Kentcleaningsolutions.co.uk)
Card helps people access toilets
The Bladder and Bowel Foundation has produced a ‘Just Can’t Wait’ toilet card for patients to help them gain access to toilet facilities that may otherwise not be available.
Bar owner defends toilet CCTV move
THE owners of a new bar have defended their decision to install a CCTV camera in the men’s toilets.
A customer complained to The Gazette after spotting the camera in the toilet at Pure Lounge Bar which opened in Wote Street, Basingstoke last month.
UK Schools Call for Minimum Standards for Toilets
Sub-standard toilets; smelly, missing locks and lack of toilet paper reported in 1 in 4 state schools, says research
A survey of 160 UK schools and 49 school and specialist nurses, including Nursing Times readers, has prompted a universal call for a minimum standard for school toilet facilities.
Public Toilet Closures
Facts about public toilets in Wales
Age Cymru has unveiled the findings of new research into public toilet closures. Their findings are listed in this article.
Campaigner cycles length of Wales over lack of loos
Public toilets are becoming increasingly rare on the streets of the UK
A councillor has cycled the length of Wales to raise awareness about what she says is a severe lack of public toilets.
After riding 153 miles from Gwynedd to Cardiff, Louise Hughes is meeting AMs to ask for an improvement.
Continence experts demand clarity over Ryanair’s toilet proposals
Some of the UKs leading Continence experts, surgeons, nurses and patient groups have expressed their concerns at Ryanair’s proposals to reduce the number of toilets on board their aircrafts and to charge passengers to use them. Clarity is called for in light of the contradictory stories running in the press.
It is estimated that a quarter of the adult population (one in four of us) has a bladder control problem and one in ten has a bowel control problem often requiring frequent and urgent visits to the toilet.
BTA Consultation Service
Each year we visit many hundreds of public toilets throughout the UK, provided by both local authorities and other operators. Over the years we have built up a unique fund of practical experience, covering every aspect of toilet provision and operation - and most importantly this knowledge is centred on the views and requirements of the user.
Through Loo of the Year Awards, promoted by BTA, our vision is that every 'away from home' toilet, certainly every Local Authority public toilet, will receive an annual independent assessment and appropriate star rating.
In the meantime, the BTA is ready and able to visit any type of provider - Local Authority or commercial as well as health, education and hospitality establishments, to discuss current standards of provision, future strategy and issues relevant to design, layout, product and service needs, security and maintenance - as well as marketing or revenue generating opportunities.
This service provides impartial, independent advice at a realistic cost which is discounted for BTA members. For more information (add link to BTA Consultation Service section of About BTA tab of BTA Website)
More new BTA Members
BTA welcomes Central Bedfordshire Council (English Unitary Authority), The Urostomy Association and Vectair Systems (Commercial Company) as new members.
The Urostomy Association are a national support group for people with urinary diversion.
Vectair Systems Ltd manufacture and supply a wide range of hygiene products in the Air care, Washroom, Infant Care and Flying Insect Control Sectors including odour control dispensers, chemical dosing systems, and hand care products.
Student gets stuck down toilet
A Chinese student had to be rescued by firefighters after he got his arm stuck down a toilet trying to retrieve his mobile phone. The student had dropped his phone while playing with it on the loo - and decided on desperate action to try to get it back.
Toto - we're not on normal toilets any more
Washlet lavatories from Japan show the future of the bathroom.
The Neorest toilet at Toto, St Johns' Street, London, has an automatic lid.
A quiet and achingly stylish hygiene revolution kicked off in the bowels of a shop in east London today, where rows of futuristic white pods crouched patiently, hoping to attract the attention of passing buttocks.
What students want from college toilets
Consult students about what they really want in college and what do they say? Classy toilets.
Students at South Birmingham College are proud to call their place bog standard since they are able to boast that their toilets may outclass any in the most opulent hotels of the city.