Cambridge toilet closures spark worry about waste management and inconvenience. People are against removing such a facility.
The city runs 14 public toilets now. Eight are in the city center. Others are spread across Cambridge. Victoria Avenue, Gonville Place, and Quayside toilets may close as part of the 2025/26 budget plan for savings.
The council faces an £11.5 million budget issue spanning the next five years. Closing three “low use” toilets could help save £121,000 each year. Council members discussed the plan on February 10.
A council person said they made tough choices and that resident opinions shaped the decisions. They invested in upgrading other toilets.
Hannah Townsend, who was visiting her son, Oscar, thinks closures affect tourism. “You need these basic provisions,” she stated. She added that ignoring public input is a bad idea.
Budget cuts were surveyed last year. Sixty-one percent opposed fewer toilets.
Oscar Townsend avoids looking for public toilets because he thinks they charge or stay locked. Removing bins already caused more trash, so he wonders what happens when there are no toilets. He believes people will go anywhere, and that waste and rubbish hurt the city’s image.
Seda Kochisar understands both sides. She likes having toilets available, but she also sees the cost to the council and feels council tax doesn’t deliver enough. She noted that some toilets are nice, while others are horrible.
Fiona says councils face impossible situations. Government and tax funds decreased over time, while costs for services keep rising. As a woman, she sees the council’s point but also finds public toilets vital, stating that people need them for many reasons and that all cities should have them.
Philip Levitt of Trumpington is frustrated, feeling the council already fails residents. “They are not doing any good,” he said. He questioned why his £3,000 tax pays for road issues, and says toilets will charge fees or close; pools face the same issues. He also complained about increasing council tax.
The council said resident input shaped hard choices and that they need savings beyond fully supported proposals. Further survey results showed different opinions, as forty-two percent opposed cuts to underused toilets, while thirty-one percent supported them.
Councillor Simon Smith says the council wants good toilets in high-need areas. They invested in several upgraded restrooms, with Silver Street toilets being rebuilt and plans coming for Jesus Green restrooms soon. He also noted that the latest survey lacked majority support for cuts.
The council plans to close the toilets soon in the 2025/2026 year. A work plan is needed for timeline confirmation, and the full council votes on February 24.