NEW restaurants, offices and shopping centres in England will be required to provide single-sex toilets under changes to the law ministers say will “alleviate safety, privacy and dignity concerns.”

Women and Equalities Minister Kemi Badenoch said today that the policy would end “the rise of so-called ‘gender-neutral’ mixed sex toilet spaces, which deny privacy and dignity to both men and women.”

The legislation means that new non-domestic buildings must install separate toilet facilities for men and women or, if there is not enough space, self-contained universal toilets, which are a fully-enclosed toilet room containing a sink and hand dryer.