New restaurants, public toilets, shopping centres and offices in England will be required to have separate male and female toilets under proposed legislation, the government has said.
The new laws proposed by the government, will affect all new non-residential buildings as part of a push “ending the rise” of gender-neutral toilets, Equalities Minister Kemi Badenoch said.
It’s a highly contraversial topic and the subject for a lot of debate on social media regarding the concerns from women, elderly and disabled people who felt “unfairly disadvantaged” by toilets being converted into gender neutral facilities sharing cubicles and sinks, the government said.
The new legislation will also apply to buildings going through major refurbishment. Exemptions include care homes, cells in custody suites and schools and importantly doesn’t include small businesses that already have toilet facilities in places.
The government hopes to present the long-talked about legislation to Parliament in the next few weeks and, if approved, have it in force later this year.
The change to building regulations will also allow contained, universal toilets in addition to single-sex toilets where space allows, or instead of single-sex toilets where there is not enough space. A universal toilet is defined by the government as a self-contained room with a toilet and sink for individual use which is completely different to a gender neutral washroom with individual fully enclosed toilet cubicles and a shared washing area.
The new proposed legislation will also apply to buildings going through major refurbishment with certain exemptions for certain institutions such as schools and prison cells. What this means for most facilities and project managers looking at refurbishment projects is that a lot more planning will be needed in terms of allocating individual facilities. In the main, and put quite simply, it just means a return to the more traditional way of planning and removes the space-saving benefit of creating a single space.
Here at the Cubicle Centre we have toilet cubicles and panels to suit every washroom requirement whether it be for single sex toilets with our Cairngorm range of high traffic, vandal proof cubicles or our full height Privacy range, perfect for gender neutral environments where privacy and safety is a requirement.
The government hopes to present the long-talked about legislation to Parliament in the next few weeks and, if approved, have it in force later this year.
Whatever proposals go through, you can rest assured that we have the toilet cubicles to suit all circumstances and requirements you might need.
From humble beginnings in a Dewsbury Garage, we have over 20 years’ experience in toilet cubicle manufacture.
We’ve delivered cubicles across the UK to schools, holiday parks and National Trust properties, to local fitness centres and the Olympic village.
Call us now on 01924 457600 to discuss your next toilet cubicle or washroom remodel project.
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