Urilift International BV - Public Sanitary facilities - 'pop-up' toilets

Your Local Guardian - Space-age 'pop-up' toilets to come to Lambeth

Plans are being drawn up to introduce space-age public urinals in Lambeth that disappear underground when they are not being used.

The high-tech toilets would be operational at night in places around the borough to combat late night revellers urinating in the streets. During the day they would disappear underground by remote control, leaving the streets clear and uncluttered.

As they descend into the ground, the "pop-up" urinals wash themselves.

The council is currently liaising with business groups, police, transport operators, and residents for their views on where the loos should go, and is seeking business partners to contribute financially to the plans.

The council is proposing to earmark funding which can be coupled with private funding to increase the number of urinals, and hopes to install a minimum of five or six new units next year.

Councillor Lib Peck, Cabinet member for environment, said urinating in the street at night is antisocial and a constant source of complaint from residents and businesses.

"We are committed to improving public toilet access in Lambeth and the proposals for urinals are a key part of that," she added.

Phil Woolas, Minister for Local Government: “new-built innovative solutions needed”

In a presentation on 19th July 2006 by Phil Woolas, Minister for Local Government, at the British Toilet Association and ENCAMS, the minister expressed his commitment to put the public toilet issues a top priority for Local Government. As a start, the minister’s recently published guide on town centre management encourages councils to look at solutions to street urination, such as extra toilets on Friday and Saturday nights, and new-built provision with innovative design and management. Furthermore he expressed his belief in a fundamental need to look at “how we can inspire a change in culture” and enlisted the BTA’s help Taunton Deane install Urilift : “the Best Solution”

Among the local authorities who have decided to install Urilifts are Taunton Deane, where problems associated with late night drinking were causing both behavioural and hygiene problems. Town Centre Manager Lucy Ball explained: “We had to take action. In addition to late night drinking, the existing public toilets are closed at night because they were being used for sleeping or drugs.“Working with the police and local pub owners, we concluded that the Urilift, which is being installed right in the town centre where it is most needed, offered the best solution. Fortunately, local surveys indicated that this was also the best location for access to essential utilities. We shall be monitoring its use very closely, but evidence from established Urilift users in Reading suggest that matters should significantly improve.”She added that, while the new licensing laws, which came into effect last November, have not exacerbated the problem, neither has it reduced. “The need for a solution is just as urgent”, she said.

ENCAMS survey shows: “30% of councils have street urination problem”

Over 30% of councils have a major problem with human fluids hitting their town and city centre streets. Puke, poo and pee are faced on a daily basis by the street cleaners handed the dirty deed to wipe it away Alan Woods, Chief Executive of Keep Britain Tidy said: “After closing time, many revellers simply can’t find a loo to use. “Whilst it is a disgusting sight to see – and a joyless job to clean-up - public pee-ers have little option. Too many conveniences have either been shut or appear dirty, shady or dangerous.” New Healthmatic Managing Director

Roger Berry has been appointed as Healthmatic’s new managing director, in succession to Piers Dibben. Mr Berry, 46, comes to Healthmatic with an impressive record has a top business executive, running a range of companies, in all of which he and his teams have significantly improved both service and profit levels. At his most recent company, Ridley Quiney, a major
international packaging business, during his tenure the team increased sales by 50% in five years while, in the same period, trans-forming an operating loss into an annual seven figure profit.
Piers Dibben said: “I’m very pleased to have acquired someone with Roger’s ability and track record. I shall be focussed on the sales and marketing role with Healthmatic, and will remain as a main board director.”Mr Berry commented: “I’m delighted to be joining Healthmatic at such an interesting time in its history. The growing problems of late night drinking in town and city centre areas, and the increased closure of many public toilets, provide great opportunities for us. I’m relishing the challenge.” Mr Berry, who was educated at Wycliffe College, Stroud, and Southampton University, lives with his wife Janey and their two boys in Chelworth, near Malmesbury, close to the company’s headquarters in Calne, Wiltshire. Newquay: “A Permanent Solution”

In Newquay, Cornwall, Restormel BC will install three Urilifts following on-going problems with late night drinking in the popular seaside resort. This followed a pilot scheme last summer, involving three temporary male “pissoirs”. Not only did these units confirm the need for a permanent solution, but helped to identify the preferred location for the Urilifts with access to water and sewerage.Tony Pope, Head of Waste and Parks for Restormel BC, said: “Newquay is not only a popular holiday resort, but has become a favourite destination for “stag” and “hen” weekends. This has exacerbated the growing problem of late-night drinking and urinating in the streets, which was not helped by our having to close existing public toilets because of vandalism. “We researched the problem in detail and, following the pilot scheme, we are confident that the three Urilifts, which will be strategically located in the area where most of the pubs and clubs are located, will provide a permanent solution to the problem in time for the holiday season.” Stroud install UriLift near bus station and taxi ramp

A Urilift will also be installed in Kings Parade, Stroud. Lisa Samak, Technical Contracts Officer at Stroud DC, commented: “The Urilift will help to address the problem of revellers relieving themselves on their way home.It is situated near the bus station and taxi ranks where everyone seems to gather after a night out.” The state-of-the-art, underground urinal which rises from the pavement at peak night-time hours is set to be installed in King's Parade in the coming months. But the loo, known as a pissoir in France, which emerges from the ground when required, is causing some consternation among nearby businesses, who fear it will encourage revellers to urinate around their stores.
"It'll be brought up at night ready to deal with the night time economy, which is growing in Stroud, and brought back down underground for the daytime. People won't even know it's there," Mrs Samak added.
"We have been trying to find a resolution to the lack of facilities in Stroud for a while as there are no 24-hour toilets in the town at the moment.
"We want to provide 24-hour facilities for people because urination in shop doorways is a problem in Stroud. And if it is well received we're hoping that a female version could be installed at some point." Cambridge conclude: “Night time behaviour differs from daytime”

The council of Cambridge have conducted a public toilet review and one of the conclusions is that tackling street urination during the late evening and overnight is something that also requires consideration. The expanding late night economy in the city centre is already having an impact with increased instances of urinating in the street, by both male and females. The demand pattern is different from the daytime and therefore a different approach will be needed. From the evidence available, it appears people are reluctant to walk too far from where they want to be, for instance purchasing food or queuing for a taxi.

UriVisable

After the successful introduction of the UriLift in 2000 and the UriGienic in 2004, Urilift BV has again expanded its product mix with an innovative product, the UriVisable. Since its founding in 2000 Urilift BV has developed itself into the specialist as the only total supplier of public sanitation, and in particular for the prevention of the nuisance caused by people urinating in public. We strive to be able to supply the most complete package of high-quality products and solutions. In this way we are able to offer our existing and new customers with the right solution for every need. That is why we have expanded our collection of public sanitation provisions with the UriVisable.

This public urinal has the same outward appearance as the UriLift, the big functional difference being that the UriVisable can not be hidden below ground level. For this reason the UriVisable is extremely suitable for locations where permanent placement does not cause any objections and where, taking into account the pattern needed, a urinal is required 24 hours a day. The UriVisable can also be equipped with partitions and/or be screened off. For this reason there is a large freedom of choice in design and materials available to designers and town architects. The UriVisable can thereby be well integrated into every different townscape.

The Urivisable was also developed under our own management and in collaboration with our customers. In this way we are able to guarantee the same quality, functionality, and durability as that of our other products. The cleaning and rinsing of the urinal takes place over the entire wall. The times, length of time and intervals can be adjusted to your specific and/or local wishes and requirements. A biologically safe detergent, soap, and an artificial odour are added to the rinsing water so that the UriVisable remains optimally clean and fresh, and therefore does not have to be attended to so often to be cleaned, with minimal cleaning costs and the minimal water usage as the result.