Loos for you - Community toilet partnership scheme
Last year we undertook a review of our provision of public toilets across the town. Many of the facilities are old and require significant investment. We are keen to improve access to better facilities in the town that are available for longer hours and to achieve this, propose to introduce a community partnership scheme with local businesses, known as 'Loos for you'.
The scheme will allow members of the public to freely use the participating businesses’ customer toilet facilities without the need to purchase goods or services. These schemes have been successfully launched in other towns and cities across the UK, the nearest being Gloucester.
Due to the pandemic we had to delay the launch of loos for you but are now able to pilot the scheme in partnership with John Lewis and House of Fraser, with Regent Arcade planning to participate in the near future.
The loos for you sticker will be shown in participating businesses.
If you have any feedback or comments on the scheme, please email us at [email protected].
Our public toilets remain available to use during opening hours.
To learn more about the loos for you pilot, please read the FAQ's below.
Loos for you FAQs
Q: What are opening hours of the toilet facilities?
A: The toilets will be open during the individual business’s opening hours. Please check the business website for full details, as these may be subject to change at any given time.
Q: What other toilets are available if the facilities are shut (out of hours, being repaired etc.)?
A: Please refer to www.cheltenham.gov.uk/public-toilets for further details of alternative toilet facilities.
Q: Does this community partnership pilot cater for disabled users?
A: All premises involved in this pilot have facilities for use by disabled customers, and John Lewis has specific Changing Places facilities available.
Q: Are facilities on the ground floor?
A: Facilities are not on the ground floor, however all facilities can be reached by use of lifts.
Q: Can the facilities be used by those with pushchairs/prams?
A: All facilities cater for users with prams and pushchairs and have baby changing facilities.
Q: How will I know where these facilities are located?
A: Toilet locations will be signposted within the individual businesses. Alternatively, our public toilets remain available to use during opening hours.
Q: Are there plans to increase the number of participating businesses?
A: Subject to the success of the pilot, we are looking to increase the number of participating businesses.
Q: Does this mean that you are going to close existing public toilets?
A: Any decision on the future of our current public toilet facilities will be subject to ensuring provision of alternative appropriate facilities via a successful community partnership scheme.
Q: Does this mean that you are looking to close the toilets in the parks?
A: It is not in our plans to do this, in fact we are looking to improve the toilets at Sandford Park.
Q: How do I give feedback on the pilot?
A: If you have feedback on the pilot, please email [email protected]. However if you have any concerns about the standards of the toilets, please refer these to the business directly.
Q: Why are you doing this?
A: This is a pilot scheme to understand the suitability and appropriateness of a community partnership scheme with other businesses and organisations to provide toilet facilities for the public.
Q: Which premises are involved in the pilot? Is the pilot starting in all premises at the same time?
A: The initial pilot is limited to John Lewis and House of Fraser, with Regent Arcade joining at a later date.
Q: Are these premises COVID-19 friendly/compliant?
A: All three pilot facilities have passed all required COVID-secure checks, so you will be able to use them with confidence.
Q. Is anyone allowed access to the toilets of a participating business?
A. The participating business can refuse a member of the public admission to the premises and/or its toilet facilities in the event that it is in its own or in the public’s interest to do so. This could include concerns of safety, security and/or antisocial behaviour.
Q. I want to use the loos for you toilets but there is a queue to get into the premises. Can I walk straight in?
A. All businesses are required to manage the number of people on their premises so you will need to join the queue and wait until you can be safely admitted in to the premises.