ePetition - Extend public toilet opening times

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Extend public toilet opening times

We the undersigned petition Brighton & Hove Council to extend the opening hours of public toilets along the beach and seafront. The current opening times, with many seafront toilets not accessible before 10am and closing by 6pm, are wholly inadequate for a city with a vibrant early morning and late evening beach culture. Proposal for Modernisation: We urge the council to implement remote-controlled locking or shutter systems for public toilets, enabling automatic opening from 6am during the summer, dawn the rest of the year, and the focus of staffing to shift to evening checks and closing up, 9-10pm during summer, dusk the rest of the year. Such systems are widely used, reliable, and can be managed remotely or via programmable timers, eliminating the need for staff to physically unlock each facility. If, during evening checks, an attendant finds a facility in an unusable state, the automatic unlock can be disabled for the next day and the toilet remain closed until the issue is resolved.

- Supports the needs of early morning and late evening beach users and families.
- Reduces anti-social behaviour associated with lack of facilities.
- Improves accessibility and inclusivity for all residents and visitors.
- Modernises the city’s infrastructure with cost-effective, proven technology.

This ePetition ran from 14/07/2025 to 24/09/2025 and has now finished.

410 people signed this ePetition.

Council response

Response provided at Cabinet on 25th September 2025:

"Thank you for your petition.

First, I hope you will have seen how important we believe public toilets are for our city. Since being elected in 2023, we’ve reopened 12, refurbished 9 (including the seafront) and changed the opening hours so that some sites that were previously closed over the winter are now open year-round. We’ve also done a great deal of work on providing accessible facilities, including raising the entire level of the facility at Goldstone Villas from it’s previous subterranean configuration.

Brighton & Hove’s beach culture is vibrant and active beyond the current operating hours, and of course we’d like our facilities need to reflect that reality as far as possible.

We are actively exploring two practical approaches to make that happen. First, we’re consulting with staff about amending the summer rota to allow for later closing times. This is timely, as we’re also recruiting additional staff to support the reopening of the toilet at Victoria Park – the thirteenth we’ve reopened - and other facilities in the west of the city, which should give us more flexibility in how we manage resources.

Second, we are investigating the feasibility of installing automated door mechanisms—systems that allow for remote-controlled or timed opening and locking. That would potentially enable earlier opening and later closing, while also addressing safety and cleaning logistics. We’re mindful of previous concerns about people potentially being locked in, so any solution will be carefully assessed to ensure it’s safe, reliable, and practical.

Thank you for bringing your petition today, and I can certainly assure you that we view the city’s public toilets as crucial to our residents and visitors".

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