Transport for London (TfL) has put the reopening of toilets at Kilburn tube station on hold after a homeless encampment was set up outside the entrance. The facilities, closed for months due to drug taking and antisocial behaviour, were due to reopen nearly permanently following a campaign by local residents and politicians. However, the encampment has created a “temporary setback,” according to a community campaigner.
Community Campaign and Safety Concerns
Kilburn Older Voices Exchange (KOVE), a community action group, has been pressing TfL alongside local politicians to restore public access to the toilets. The closure has been described by KOVE member Michael Stuart as an “equality and equity issue,” affecting those who cannot go out without reliable toilet access. “There’s a considerable number of people who can’t go out for any length of time without a toilet,” Stuart told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS). “They need a reliable toilet to get out so it’s reducing isolation, it’s for people's wellbeing and mental health to be able to do the normal things in life.”
The lack of facilities disproportionately impacts women, older people, those with health conditions, and parents with young children, often preventing them from travelling. Stuart also highlighted a knock-on effect: “There is also an issue with a lot of street urination round the corner from the tube. You will quite regularly find a man urinating there and the local residents are not happy with the smell, the hygiene. It’s not good for the area.”
TfL Agreement and Setback
Following pressure from KOVE and London Assembly Members Krupesh Hirani (Brent and Harrow) and Anne Clarke (Barnet and Camden), TfL had agreed to improve staffing at the station, ensuring a near-permanent staff presence to unlock the toilets for passengers. A temporary laminated sign was installed on the control room advising passengers to ask staff for access, and TfL agreed to a permanent metal sign on the toilet doors.
Assembly Member Hirani said: “Everyone deserves to feel safe using Kilburn station. But that safety should not come at the cost of people being able to access basic facilities like toilets. For too long, anti-social behaviour in the station toilets has made traveling harder for passengers. I'm pleased that TfL have heard residents and delivered a solution. But a simple, permanent sign would cost very little and make a big difference for the people who rely on these facilities every day.”
Despite this progress, the reopening is now stalled until a solution to the homeless encampment is found. Stuart is working with Camden Council to bring together homelessness and addiction agencies to adopt “a public health approach” to support those living outside the station.
Next Steps and Broader Impact
Stuart is also exploring other measures to facilitate reopening, including redesigning the toilets to address safety issues and installing a changeable coded lock that passengers could obtain from station staff. The delay affects around 900 patients at the Kilburn High Road GP surgery registered with bladder and bowel issues, though Stuart notes there are “a lot more suffering silently.”
The situation remains unresolved, but community groups and local representatives continue to push for a sustainable solution that balances safety and public access.
