Comments made by cleaning staff, drug misuse and debris left by other users are among the reasons people have complained about York’s public toilets.
The nature of complaints made at numerous public toilets in York have been made available via a Freedom of Information request.
Since May 2022, the public toilet at St George’s Field has received nine complaints, the most of all listed in the response.
Reasons included multiple people sleeping in toilets, cleaning standards and ‘debris’ left by other users.
Doors also not working was listed as a reason, which may impede disabled access.
St George’s Field is in Fishergate ward. Ward councillors Sarah Wilson and Conrad Whitcroft say they are aware of the problems.
Cllr Wilson said: “This public toilet on St George’s Field is a stark reminder of the hard work that we have to do to make York a safer, healthier and more comfortable place for our residents and our visitors.”
“I am confident that our new, hard-working Labour administration will improve York’s amenities and resolve the issues with public toilet provision on St George’s Field,” Cllr Whitcroft added.
The loo league
St Leonards Place public toilets had eight complaints, namely about cleaning standards and the provision of unisex toilets.
Meanwhile, Silver Street and Union Terrace each received seven complaints.
Cleansing, drug misuses, comments made by cleaning staff, the door gate being too narrow for buggies and blocked toilets were complaints about Silver Street public toilets.
People told the council that the toilets at Union Terrace were unclean and the doors wouldn’t open.
Toilets at Coppergate Shopping Centre, Front Street, Rowntree Park were complained about because of cleaning standards, debris left by other users, drug material, and in Rowntree Park in particular, tree roots were found in pipework.
Three complaints were made about unspecified public toilets about cleaning standards, shared unisex loos and a 40p charge by use of debit card.