A Labour council has opened a series of new “squat-style” toilets aimed at international visitors.
Cambridge city council opened the public toilets, built for just £1million, last week – and admitted it was for the benefit of foreign tourists.
Labour councillors claim the facilities “really enhance the cityscape” – but locals have hit out at the “crazy” £1 entry fee to use the loo.
Heather Boyd, 60, said: “I certainly think if I’m going to spend £1, I’m not going to squat as well. That is absolutely crazy.”
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Mrs Boyd, from the nearby village of Orwell, told the BBC: “I’d much rather they built just a normal set of toilets and charged nothing than one really slick one and charged a pound.”
The new block on Silver Street sits opposite Queens’ College at the University of Cambridge, replacing a 1980s facility that suffered repeated flooding due to its proximity to the River Cam.
It stands near the Mathematical Bridge, a famous wooden footbridge that draws thousands of visitors to the area every day.
The council says the £1 fee covers cleaning, maintenance and staffing costs and claims it will “discourage misuse” of the toilets.
Council leader Katie Thornburrow said: “We also felt it appropriate to ask visitors to support the upkeep of these facilities by paying £1, a practice which is common in many other tourist destinations.
“The £1 charge will help us to keep the toilets clean without relying on council taxpayers to fund these facilities.”
Squat toilets are regarded by some as more hygienic since users avoid skin contact with a shared seat.
They are widely used across China, India and the Middle East, and also feature in public facilities in France, Italy and Greece.
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Cambridge attracts over eight million visitors per year, or roughly 22,000 per day.
The nearest free alternative toilets are approximately a 10-minute walk away in a shopping centre elsewhere in the city centre, according to the council’s public toilets map.
The city’s narrow streets already struggle with congestion as tourists spread beyond the centre.
The council has pursued multiple rounds of upgrades for both tourists and locals, but faces growing pressure on its infrastructure.
The Environment Agency has warned that Cambridge’s water supply is under “extreme stress,” with plans to build thousands of new homes on the city’s outskirts potentially threatening supply further.
Labour councillor Martin Smart said the new loos “really enhance the cityscape in this historic and much-visited part of the city”
They “will provide a modern, well-managed facility for thousands of the visitors we welcome to Cambridge each year”, he added.
“The design prioritises safety, accessibility, and user confidence in its busy city-centre setting and demonstrates how high-quality contemporary design can successfully integrate with a sensitive historic setting while delivering lasting civic, environmental, and social value.”
Ms Thornburrow said all other public toilets across Cambridge are free, making Silver Street the sole exception.
“As they are located at one of the key entry points to the city for coaches bringing international tourists to spend time in the city, we wanted to provide suitable facilities to meet the demand, with a range of toilets to choose from, including a number of the squat toilets that many international visitors prefer,” she added.
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