Artist’s impression

A PUBLIC toilet that was shut five years ago after being labelled “the top cottaging spot in the United Kingdom” is to be sold off despite strong objections from The Soho Society.

The Broadwick Street loos have been closed since 2021 following anti-social behaviour and had been earmarked for sale under a previously agreed borough-wide toilet strategy.

The “prime location” had been tested on the market for the last 15 months but no toilet operators or company came forward with specific plans to take it on, Westminster City Council representatives told a planning committee.

The city council is making the change- of-use application, including removal of a redundant air conditioning plant in the basement, to make the space more attractive to future bidders.

In its objection The Soho Society said: “It lies in a part of Soho already acutely short of public toilets relative to the very intense food, drink and entertainment activity in the area.

“The loss of a purpose-built public convenience site to additional class E use runs directly against the clear need for more, not fewer, loos and is therefore an unacceptable land use in planning terms.”

Soho Neighbourhood Forum recently produced a “Caught Short in Soho” investigation that revealed a significant shortfall in public toilet provision in W1.

“While this application must be assessed on its own merits, that study underlines the wider context in which the proposed loss of this toilet site would be particularly perverse,” the society’s objection said.

The closed loo in Broadwick Street

“The council would be allowing the disappearance of a scarce public convenience location in the very area where its own neighbourhood and strategic policies, supported by community-funded evidence, point clearly to the need for more provision.

“For these reasons The Soho Society strongly objects to the proposed land use and urges the council to refuse this application. Instead, the council should work collaboratively with local stakeholders to secure the re-establishment of fully functioning public conveniences on this site, reflecting the clearly identified needs of residents, workers, and visitors.”

The toilet site looks set to be used either as a café or for retail space in the latest stage of an ongoing saga.

At one time the Metropolitan Police objection to the toilet was that it “had been listed as the top cottaging spot in the UK” on various websites.

This week’s application on behalf of the city council from Rolfe Judd Planning said: “The length of the site could be suitable for a pop up store or a permanent retail space.

“The space can be divided with movable partition display walls/tables to create a versatile and flexible space. With a retail use, the maximum occupancy for fire is estimated to be 18 people.”

During Tuesday’s meeting Labour committee member Cllr Aicha Less said: “I am surprised there were no operators that could be found to be honest, but if it did close due to ASB then fine.”

The meeting heard the underground toilet did not have disabled access and there were concerns about whether the unit could meet fire safety regulations.

Speaking in support, Chris Brown, from the agent Rolfe Judd Planning, said the toilets were not included in a wider programme of public toilet upgrades due to complaints about anti-social behaviour.

He said the council’s “property team had been instructed to sell it” in 2021.

Planning chair Conservative Cllr Jim Glen said: “Given there is no tenant at the moment. This app is in order to make it easier to market to tenants, with the certainty of planning permission in place.”

The committee unanimously voted in favour of the application.