Why toilet challenges are putting me and others off a return to the high street - Laura Reid

Like many people with bladder and bowel conditions, I find myself constantly thinking about where the nearest toilet is and whether I can access it quickly if needed.

In a society that has sadly seen numerous public toilets closed in the past few years, getting out and about without researching routes and toilet stops can be a challenge - and is rarely without worry.

Perhaps never has this issue been more stark than now, as lockdown restrictions are eased and society begins to 're-open' after the coronavirus shutdown.

Some toilets remain completely shut. Others are open but have somewhat restricted facilities due to necessary social distancing requirements, meaning fewer are available overall.

Popping into a supermarket loo, which has been a lifeline for me on many occasion, is not straightforward, with queuing outside many of the larger stores and other alternative options such as nipping into a pub or restaurant (and purchasing a drink) to use the facilities are also not on the table.

And, though in all honesty I'm in no hurry to get back to the shops and am personally still minimising contact with the 'outside world', the toilet situation is a big barrier to me in terms of accessing the high street.

If toilets and access to them remain limited, it's definitely going to put me off heading out and about.

I'm not alone either. I contributed today to a BBC article on how 'toilet fears' are hampering a high street return for some.

Within it, a comment from charity Crohn's and Colitis UK highlights how local councils and shopping centres opening public toilets would "dramatically improve the quality of life" for people with conditions that require toilet access, as long as they can be opened safely.

The story has been among the top 10 on the BBC website all morning and it's perhaps not surprising it's garnering so much interest. Afterall, let us not forget that using the loo is a basic human need for all of us, whether you have a medical condition or not.

The Government says councils are responsible for public toilets and their advice is that if people need to use any facilities, they practise social distancing and good hygiene.

I'm sure many will be concerned about whether toilets could pose a risk in the spread of the coronavirus and the top priority has to be keeping people safe.

However, as lockdown restrictions are lifted, this must be balanced finely with people's basic needs when out and about.

Perhaps greater consideration ought to be given to this as part of the national bounceback strategy.

Making as many toilets as possible available for people to use in as safe a way as possible will provide more people with the encouragement, opportunity and reassurance needed to get back to the high street - a necessary part of the nation's economic recovery.

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