People tend to replace separate taps when they refurbish their bathrooms these because indeed there is no reason for them and they are not practical.<p>As for pull-cord switches, this is another "because that's the way others do, too" sort of thing. To have a normal switch in a bathroom is not explicitly forbidden and many electric safety regulations are poorly understood (ask 3 electricians about safety zones and you'll probably get 3 different answers) so people tend to cover their backsides by going over the top.
Here's another, more regional one: why do so many homes in England not have a lock on the bathroom door?<p>Having been born & raised in another part of the UK. I never saw a bathroom without a lock on the door til I moved to England. Where I'd say maybe half the homes I've been in don't.<p>Really cramps your style, when you're trying to go for a massive dump and your buttocks keep clenching up every time someone walks past the door!