A Freedom of Information request reveals a 25% drop in public toilets across Scotland since the SNP's rise to power, with some councils, including Edinburgh and Highland, seeing significant closures. Liberal Democrats warn this decline disproportionately affects older and disabled individuals, hindering their access to public spaces. The party calls for increased funding and recognition of local authorities as essential service providers.
The number of public toilets in Scotland has fallen by a quarter since the SNP came to power. A Scottish Lib Dem Freedom of Information request revealed that there has been a 25 percent decrease in the number of public toilets across the 18 councils which provided data. There has also been an eight percent decrease since 2018 in the 31 councils which provided data. There are 32 councils in Scotland .
Liberal Democrat communities spokesperson Willie Rennie said the fall was down to the SNP 'treating local authorities as second-class services.” He also said that for older or disabled people a lack of public toilets 'can prevent them enjoying public spaces or getting out and about in their communities.' Clackmannanshire, East Dunbartonshire, Falkirk and South Lanarkshire now have zero public toilets. Highland Council has closed the largest number of toilets, with 37 having closed since the SNP came to power. Edinburgh has closed more than half of its public toilets. The city has gone from 30 in 2007 to 14 in 2024. Rennie said: “Since the SNP came to power public toilets have been shut down left, right and centre. “This is not just about public convenience. For some older or disabled Scots, a lack of accessible bathrooms can prevent them enjoying public spaces or getting out and about in their communities. “That’s a depressing state of affairs for our country to be in but it the inevitable consequence of the decisions that successive SNP First Ministers have taken over the past 17 years. “Scottish Liberal Democrats want to see local authorities handed real financial firepower to rebuild battered local services like public toilets and other essential amenities like electric charging points and waste disposal points. “Looking ahead there also needs to be a commitment from the next Scottish Government not to treat local authorities as second-class service
SNP SCOTLAND PUBLIC TOILETS LOCAL AUTHORITIES LIBERAL DEMOCRATS
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