A shopping centre in Greater Manchester has scooped three major wins at the Loo of the Year Awards 2026, recognised as the benchmark for excellence across washrooms in the UK. Running since 1987, The Loo of the Year Awards hunt high and low for the best bogs, lavs, crappers and thrones across the UK, and low and behold, Greater Manchester is home to some of the best.
What are the Loo of the Year Awards?
The awards recognise the need for ‘away from home’ washrooms to be of the highest standard in terms of accessibility, hygiene, repair and facilities. Anyone can nominate – staff, customers, visitors, managers, owners or contractors.
Loo of the Year Awards inspectors will make unannounced visits to thousands of toilets at sites across the UK, to judge them. All of the toilets are graded silver, gold, platinum, platinum plus or diamond, with unacceptable toilets not graded at all. The toilets are judged against numerous criteria, including décor and maintenance, cleanliness, accessibility, hand washing and drying equipment and overall management.
Greater Manchester shopping centre takes home three titles at Loo of the Year Awards
Merseyway Shopping Centre in Stockport was honoured at the Loo of the Year Awards 2026 ceremony on Wednesday 14th January at the National Motorcycle Museum in Solihull, where it took home three titles. It was awarded Best Baby Changing Facilities in England and Best Baby Changing Facilities in the UK, marking a significant achievement for the Stockport destination.
The Stockport shopping centre also won Best Toilet Facilities in a Shopping Centre for the third time, recognising the transformation of its public washrooms, conveniently located next to Stockroom, the centre’s culture and learning hub. Designed in direct response to public feedback, the award-winning facilities include modern, spacious and immaculately maintained toilets, a calm and dedicated prayer room for quiet reflection, fully accessible adult changing spaces complete with hoists, and a private, comfortable baby feeding and changing room created to support families with ease.
Speaking on the triple win, Victoria Nichol, Centre Manager at Merseyway, said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to have won not one, but three awards at the National Loo of the Year Awards. Together, our thoughtfully designed spaces provide a dignified, stress-free experience for all visitors and staff, setting a new benchmark for inclusivity and reinforcing Merseyway’s commitment to being a welcoming destination for everyone.”
Merseyway: an award-winning shopping centre, not just for its toilet and changing room facilities
The three Loo of the Year awards come hot on the heels of eight national awards for Merseyway in 2025. At the Sceptre Awards, the UK’s leading programme celebrating excellence in shopping centre management, the centre received two accolades – Regional Community Initiative of the Year for its bottle cap mural created in partnership with Plastic Shed and Car Park of the Year, recognising the transformation of the car park at Merseyway into a unique, user-friendly and engaging space.
Merseyway also won four Green Apple Awards for its public realm transformation project, receiving national recognition across the Habitat & Diversity, Regeneration, Recycling and Land Regeneration categories.