(Image: PA)
Edinburgh councillors have been asked to sign off on a multi-year plan to update public hygiene facilities to comply with the EHRC’s guidance on single-sex spaces.
The approach recommended by City of Edinburgh Council officials would prioritise some of the work as standalone projects while including other updates within “building improvement plans as appropriate”.
According to the local authority, the improvements could cost as much as £23.5 million in capital funding over a ten-year span, while a project team costing £192,000 a year would be recruited to direct the efforts.
The council’s initial assessment covered 600 buildings across 286 sites within the city. The analysis found that 31 of the sites require updated signage, 142 require adaptations and 94 require accessibility upgrades.
600 council buildings across Edinburgh were included in the initial survey. (Image: Lison Zhao/Unsplash)
A draft policy on the upgrades outlines the council’s position.
“Where single-sex hygiene facilities are required by law these will be provided,” it states.
“Hygiene facilities with multiple cubicles and a shared sink area will be designated as single-sex, to ensure that privacy is afforded while using these facilities.
“Hygiene facilities (other than accessible facilities) where a sink and toilet are provided in a single fully enclosed lockable cubicle will be designated as gender-neutral, to maximise the facilities open for all to use.”
The policy also states that the local authority will ensure that all buildings “have at least one gender-neutral hygiene facility” and that it will provide “gender-neutral hygiene facilities in addition to existing accessible facilities”.
A report by Dr Deborah Smart, the council’s corporate director of customer and corporate services, explains the decision to opt for a “blended approach”, rather than a more targeted intervention or a long-term plan.
“The blended approach is recommended as the most efficient and effective way to make meaningful and best value improvements across the estate,” she wrote.
“However, the programme of works required is considerable and currently unfunded. This will require new staff resources and capital funding to be approved before the delivery of the programme can be progressed.”
The draft policy was circulated among a number of stakeholders, including Equality Network/ Scottish Trans, EIS Local Association, Resisting Transphobia in Edinburgh, Trans Pride Scotland, Lesbian Persistence, Edinburgh Women Rise, and For Women Scotland.
The council had been accused of failing to include the views of gender critical women, lesbians, and gay men in crafting their initial response to the guidance.
After several gender-critical groups made representations to the Policy and Sustainability Committee in August, council chiefs pledged to consult “groups with protected characteristics” about the proposals.
For Women Scotland were among the groups consulted. (Image: PA)
The local authority received a total of 25 responses to the draft policy.
“I had hoped that we wouldn't see a double-standard of immediate compliance to these regulations which purposefully endanger the rights of transgender & intersex people,” one person remarked.
“The development and promotion of such language relegate women to a minor concern, and make us invisible to policy makers. The omission of the word “women” in this paper is an inevitable consequence of that,” another said.
The report was drawn up several months after Edinburgh councillors voted to condemn the EHRC guidance on single-sex spaces adopted in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling on the definition of a woman.
“Trans people are facing an increasingly hostile environment simply for trying to live authentic lives,” Scottish Green councillor Alex Staniforth said at the time.
“The council has committed time and time again to protect the queer community -and this must involve condemning this guidance which will be dangerous for trans people and degrading for women,” they remarked.
Read more:
- Anger as council response to EHRC code 'overwhelmingly framed around trans inclusion'
- Council promises to consult 'groups with protected characteristics' amid EHRC row
- Edinburgh councillors vote to condemn 'discriminatory' EHRC single-sex guidance
Commenting on the plans, a council spokesperson said: “This report provides clarity on what the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s updated Code of Practice means for hygiene facilities in council operational buildings - providing an initial estimate of the scope and cost for the work needed to bring council buildings in line with the policy.
“If the recommended approach is agreed at committee on Tuesday and supported through the budget setting process, then our next steps include a review of the initial assessments to ensure that they are fully comprehensive and accurate, followed by feasibility and early design to ensure plans comply with equality duties across all protected characteristics.
The spokesperson added: “Ultimately, the council strives to provide an inclusive workplace and services - and recognises that all colleagues and residents should feel safe, respected, and fully supported in all areas of life.”