This year Calderdale Council will mark Yorkshire Day by making all of its public toilets free of charge, initially for a trial period.
So from Thursday 1 August there’ll be no cost if you need to spend a penny.
The decision is one of the actions which the Cabinet committed to deliver within its ambitious first 100 days programme to improve the lives of local people across Calderdale.
The Council owns 28 public conveniences at 19 locations across Calderdale. There is currently a 20p charge for using the toilets. Disabled toilets are free when accessed using a Radar key.
Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Resources, Cllr Jane Scullion said:
“We think this will appeal to all good Yorkshire folk, who traditionally know the value of money.
“Whilst it’s a bit of fun to lift the charge on our county’s special day, there are sensible reasons behind the decision.“For people with certain medical conditions, knowing that they have easy access to a free public convenience can be the difference between them having the confidence to leave the house and meet people and staying at home. And it makes life easier for parents with young children who may need to find facilities urgently.
“There are also benefits for the Council as overall we’ll make a saving when the cost of repairing and maintaining the coin slot locking mechanism is considered against the loss in income.
“We’re trialling this initially and would ask the public to work with us, let us know of any problems and report any issues to us.”
The trial is part of a wider review of the service which will take place later this year.
Giving everyone free access to public conveniences supports Calderdale’s Vision2024 and its key themes of kindness and resilience.
The year 2024 marks Calderdale’s 50th birthday. Where do we want to be by 2024? How will the Calderdale of 2024 be different from the place it is now? What ambitions do we share?
Join the conversation by following #VisionCdale2024 on social media and visit www.calderdale.gov.uk/vision