MP welcomes reopening of supermarket toilets
03/10/2025
The opening of a new café means the store must again provide toilet facilities
Banbury’s MP Sean Woodcock has welcomed the news that toilet facilities will reopen at the Sainsbury’s store on the Oxford Road in Banbury. It comes as a new Costa Coffee outlet opens in the supermarket.
Generally in the UK cafes with 10 or more seats and where food or drink is consumed on-site are legally required to provide toilets.
Sainsbury’s closed their public toilets at the start of the year due to what they described as “persistent misuse by some customers”.
Mr Woodcock wrote to the supermarket over the matter a number of times after being contacted by his constituents, asking them to reconsider their decision.
He noted his particular concerns over the impact on older people, those with young children, and people with medical conditions.
Mr Woodcock said: “I am pleased to see that a new coffee shop will be opening in the Banbury Sainsbury’s store in October. I am particularly glad that this will bring with it the toilet facilities, which previously closed in January. I am sure that this will bring increased accessibility for those wanting to use the shop who feel unable to do so due to the lack of these facilities.
“I know the closure of these toilets caused a significant concern, particularly in more vulnerable groups of the community. I am therefore glad that the new Costa will hopefully solve this issue, as well as bringing new jobs to the local area”.
The new coffee shop will create 8 new jobs.
Published: by the Banbury FM News Team
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