Council chiefs were told there was no such thing as a ‘free pee’ as they agreed plans to introduce 40p charges to use public toilets across North Yorkshire.
Members of North Yorkshire Council’s executive committee today voted to carry out a review of the authority’s network of conveniences, including the introduction of a standard entry fee.
As part of the review, the council has committed to an improvement programme to ensure that all toilet facilities are in a good or excellent condition by 2030.
Councillors took the decision despite a call from Norton division councillor Keane Duncan to keep it ‘free to pee’ in North Yorkshire.
Cllr Duncan told the meeting at Ripon Town Hall that members of the public who had contacted him “believed that public toilets are a basic fundamental service that should remain free to access”.
He added: “While I recognise the council’s financial position, I do hope the executive would agree that charging to go to the toilet should never be the council’s first instinct. It should be its last resort and only where it makes practical and financial sense.
“I would like to seek an assurance that every alternative will be fully and properly exhausted before any move towards extending charging or making closures.”
But Councillor Richard Foster, executive member for managing our environment, said entry fees were needed to provide a better toilet infrastructure.
“I’ve heard about the free-to-pee campaign, and it would be great, but there is a cost and unfortunately, there isn’t a free pee.
“Somebody pays for it somewhere, the cleaning fees, the water rates, electricity, the consumables that go into toilets all have a cost.”
Councillor Simon Myers, executive member for culture, arts and housing, said the former district and borough councils that did not introduce charges had left some conveniences in a “shocking state that North Yorkshire Council now has to pick up the tab for”.
He added: “How can we expect to balance the books and provide the statutory services that we have to provide, at the same time as justifying spending very considerable amounts of public money on our public lavatories?
“Although I am not necessarily keen on charging for public toilets, I think it’s inevitable in the current financial climate, if we are to bring things up to a decent standard.”
Councillors agreed that the entry fee should be set at 40p rather than a higher proposed rate of 50p.
External funding will be sought to help fund conveniences in areas popular with tourists, but plans to increase fees to park in car parks with toilets, to help cover the cost of running the conveniences, was abandoned.
The council says it will consider the closure of dilapidated conveniences or those with low footfall as part of the review, although talks will take place with parish and town councils first.
The authority is currently responsible for 85 traditional toilet blocks and eight changing places toilets — more than any other council in the UK.
Of those, 28 already have entry fees, which were introduced by previous district and unitary authorities.
It cost the council around £230,000 to operate its toilet network in 2025/26.
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