Toilet Tax: Towns where you’re most likely to have to pay to use the bathroom

One in five Brits say they don't go out as often as they would like because of a lack of public toilets, and new research has revealed that, in some UK towns, even finding one doesn't mean you'll be able to use it for free.

A new analysis by finance experts Fast Loan UK has revealed the UK towns where the highest proportion of publicly mapped toilets require users to pay, uncovering major differences in the likelihood of encountering a paid facility.

Top UK Towns Charging for Public Facilities

The UK towns where you're most likely to have to pay to use the bathroom

To identify the towns where you're most likely to have to pay to use the bathroom, Fast Loan UK looked at the towns with the highest proportion of public toilets requiring payment.

The Impact on Accessibility and Local Communities

Some 87% of people with Crohn's or Colitis in the UK plan journeys around toilet access. Compounding this, around 14 million people have a bladder problem, more than the number with asthma, diabetes and epilepsy combined.

In Penzance, more than a quarter of residents are pensioners, and many may feel they can not enjoy the town to its full extent as the only toilet in the area charges for use.

Blackpool, which has the highest proportion of disabled residents of any local authority in England and Wales, at 24.7%, and Hugh Town rank second and third, with 74.07% and 71.43% of their mapped toilets charging users respectively.

At first glance, the two locations appear to offer a similar experience, however, their availability of free toilets tells a very different story. Blackpool has just 0.47 free toilets per 10,000 people, while Hugh Town has 21.05, more than 44 times as many free toilets relative to its population.

Wolverhampton has fewer free toilets than towns where a higher proportion charge.

Wolverhampton ranks sixth, with 61.90% of mapped toilets charging users. However, the city records just 0.34 free toilets per 10,000 people, lower than both Blackpool and Hugh Town, despite ranking below them for the proportion of toilets that charge. In real terms, this means there is one free public toilet for every 29,000 residents, the worst ratio in Britain.

By comparison, Hugh Town has a higher proportion of charged toilets but one free toilet for every 475 residents, against one for every 29,000 in Wolverhampton. This shows that the proportion of paid toilets and the availability of free facilities are highly unequal.

Coleraine has the lowest proportion of paid toilets in the top 10, but more than half still charge

Coleraine ranks tenth, with 55.74% of mapped toilets charging users. While this is the lowest percentage among the top 10, it still means that more than one in two toilets included in the analysis require payment.

However, the town also records 10.99 free toilets per 10,000 people (one for every 910 residents), the second-highest figure in the ranking after Hugh Town, and compared with Wolverhampton's 0.34 free toilets per 10,000 people, Coleraine has more than 32 times as many free facilities relative to its population.

Joe Brunt at Fast Loan UK comments:

"One of the most interesting things this data shows is that percentages can be deceptive. That's why we need to look beyond a single figure when talking about public toilet access. The real question isn't just how many toilets charge, it's whether, when someone needs one, there is a free and accessible option within reach. 

"For someone planning a day out, percentages mean very little. What matters is the practical reality: can you find a toilet when you need one, and do you have a choice if you can't or don't want to pay?"