Row over single-sex toilets at Wiltshire Council HQ rumbles on
The Council insists it's done nothing wrong
The newly-elected chairman of the Wiltshire branch of Conservative Women says Wiltshire Council is ‘bending to the will’ of a transgender cabinet member by reassigning single-sex toilets as ‘gender neutral’.
The council has denied the accusation.
Annabelle Sanderson, who was appointed to the leadership in the summer, says single space toilets are a matter of dignity as well as safety for women.
Single-sex spaces caused a political storm earlier this month, when women’s rights campaigner Kellie-Jay Keen posted a video in which she interrogated Wiltshire Council’s deputy leader, Mel Jacob, about council policy on single-sex toilets.
The Liberal Democrat said she felt ‘ambushed’ when asked for her definition of a woman, but continued to answer the activist’s questions.
The interview garnered thousands of views on YouTube, and led to the Reform UK group on the council demanding “absolute clarity that women and girls can access single-sex spaces, and that safeguarding – not ideology – comes first.”
Ms Sanderson – who was unsuccessful in her bid to become Wiltshire Councillor for Corsham Without at the May elections – said she had asked for clarification on single-sex spaces, including toilets, following the Supreme Court ruling in April which clarified that “sex” under the Equality Act 2010 refers to biological sex.
“I asked them what their plan was after the Supreme Court ruling. And they’re in a difficult position really, because of the new cabinet,” she said.
“They gave me a statement saying we’re getting round it by making facilities unisex, or general neutral.
“They’ve taken over the ladies and the gents and made them a free-for-all. I don’t find that good enough.”
She then expressed concerns that Helen Belcher – a transgender woman and activist who was awarded an OBE for services to the transgender community, and who holds the cabinet portfolio for assets, which includes toilets across the council’s estate – was influencing decisions within the council.
“I can’t imagine there are that many people who need to use a unisex facility. There’s basically one person on the cabinet, and I think this is what’s driving it,” she said.
“Helen Belcher is a vociferous campaigner on this. And I feel that Wiltshire Council is bending to Helen’s will. The fear of offending her means two female-only lavatories at County Hall have been taken away from women.
“It’s very simple. I want to be able to go into a woman-only space.
“The law is clear and I feel Wiltshire Council has fudged it.
“I just feel it’s very important, particularly in the public sector, that it’s not women’s safety being taken away.
“It’s not about toilets; it’s about dignity.”
Responding to claims, Ian Thorn, leader of Wiltshire Council, said: “Everything that we have done is based on the Supreme Court judgement and following legal advice. At no point have we broken, or would we break, the law.
“Our key focus is to act in a decent way towards council staff and visitors to our premises.
“No individuals have unduly influenced our thinking.”
Cllr Thorn said the only toilets changed as part of the council’s 100-building estate were in a part of County Hall accessible only to staff and councillors.
There, two male and two female cubicles had been assigned unisex, “to ensure the Council was legally compliant and ensured inclusivity for all staff, following the Supreme Court ruling.”