Stand-alone public toilet buildings in Wales will be exempt from paying non-domestic rates from 1 April 2020, the Finance Minister Rebecca Evans announced today.
This was published under the 2016 to 2021 administration of the Welsh Government
Reducing the rates for these toilet buildings to zero will help local authorities and other providers to keep these facilities open whilst saving around £450,000 a year.
Finance Minister, Rebecca Evans said:
“I am pleased to announce that from next year we will be reducing rates on public toilet buildings to zero in an attempt to keep these important local services open.
“We know the importance of being able to access a public toilet when out and about, and the impact that not being able to do so can have on people’s health, dignity and quality of life. These facilities are valued by local residents and visitors alike.”
Today’s announcement forms part of the UK government’s Non-Domestic Rating (Public Lavatories) Bill that was introduced earlier this month and helps us deliver our commitment to provide ‘access to toilets for public use’ under Part 8 of the Public Health (Wales) Act 2017.
Standalone public toilet buildings in England and Wales are currently assessed for non-domestic rating purposes in the same way as other non-domestic properties.