Proposals for £100 fines for street urination, defecation and dog fouling in York have prompted calls for more public toilets ahead of a decision on enacting them.
The plans for new city-wide fines are set to go before City of York Council’s executive next Tuesday (22 April) after 4,194 street urination incidents were recorded in 2023-4.
A council report stated the penalties were more reasonable, proportionate and cost-effective means of punishing offenders which avoided lengthy and expensive court proceedings.
But 162 of the 346 people who commented on street urination and defecation penalties in a council consultation said a lack of public toilets was partly to blame.
It comes as the council has been talking to businesses and other organisations about opening their toilets to the public, according to the report.
The report added the scheme could potentially be extended to businesses operating at night if it is successful.
It follows the council’s public protection spokesperson Coun Michael Pavlovic backed introducing a new public space protection order (PSPO) in November.
Figures showed the 4,194 requests made to York BID to clean up urine from the city’s streets in 2023-4 came alongside 2,058 related to ‘human biohazard fluid’ such as vomit.
Coun Pavlovic said in November the scale of the problem was shocking, with much of it thought to be caused by late-night revellers urinating in businesses’ doorways.
Figures also showed there were 280 requests to clean up faeces, including from dogs, from the start of 2024 to November.
The number of clean up requests compares to one prosecution for street urination and defecation between March last year and November, with three in 2023-4 and 20 the year before that.
Council proposals also include strengthening the regime for dog control offences such as failing to keep a pet on a lead where necessary.
A council consultation on the proposals found around 83 per cent of 1,026 respondents backed fines for street urination and defecation.
Almost 97 per cent of respondents backed fines for dog fouling with about 91 per cent in favour of dog control penalties.
The £100 penalties would be discounted to £75 if paid within 10 days.
But responses to the street urination proposals included several calls for more public toilets in York, particularly in the city centre.
Many of the city centre’s public toilets charge people for using them and are only open during the day.
One consultation respondent said: “Urination and defecation in the streets is disgusting.
“But it happens mainly in the city centre where the lack of public toilets at certain times of the day lead to people taking desperate measures.”
The council report stated £65,000 was recently spent on upgrading toilets in Acomb’s Front Street and in Silver Street in the city centre.
It added a further £254,000 has been made available to provide toilet, changing and shower spaces for the severely disabled.
But the report stated the provision of public toilets was an ongoing challenge.
It stated: “It is expensive and antisocial behaviour creates further difficulties in upholding cleansing and maintenance standards.
“The Environment Executive Member Coun Jenny Kent is clear that access to clean toilets is an essential hallmark of public health, and the number, location and management of toilets is therefore currently under review in the City Centre Spatial Strategy.”