Several businesses in Greenford and Hanwell are paid to allow shoppers to use their toilets – and now the council wants the idea to spread to every town in the borough.

Ealing Council’s community toilet scheme has been operating in Hanwell and Greenford since 2011 and has proved a hit with customers. Those businesses taking part display a sticker in their window.

The scheme aims to provide clean, safe and accessible toilets in convenient locations for residents and visitors. Under the scheme, businesses let members of the public use their toilet facilities free of charge during normal opening hours.

Each business taking part receives an annual fee of £600 per year to help towards the cost of maintaining the toilets.

They are only accepted on to the scheme if certain criteria are met, based on accessibility, cleanliness and location. Once accepted, the business will be part of the scheme for a year initially – at which point the council reviews its success before deciding whether it should continue or not.

Council leader Julian Bell said: “It is an excellent scheme which helps encourage shoppers to use their local high street shops – knowing they will not get caught short. It is also an opportunity for local businesses to potentially attract more people in to browse.

“The businesses will maintain the toilets and it is in their interest to keep them to a good level of cleanliness to make sure they do not put off existing customers and, potentially, new ones coming in. The council carries out regular monitoring of the toilets as well – and a business will be taken off the scheme if it falls below expected minimum standards.”

I would like my business to join

If you would like to join the scheme or have any queries, email Fatima Rana at ranafa@ealing.gov.uk