26 October 2011
St Paul’s: City poised for special meeting to hear legal advice
about campsite
The City of London Corporation, which is the Highways Authority
for the Square Mile, is set to call a special meeting of its
Planning and Transportation Committee for Friday to hear legal
advice and decide whether and, if so, how to take legal action to
clear the highways around St Paul’s of campers.
The Planning and Transportation Committee would meet in private
session to consider the legal advice.
Stuart Fraser, the Policy and Resources Chairman of the City of
London Corporation will also brief all the City’s elected Members
at an informal meeting on Thursday afternoon.
He said today:
‘The long-drawn legal battle over Parliament Square has made it
imperative to get the very best legal advice about how to keep the
City’s highways free of campers. That advice is now almost in place
and the Planning and Transportation Committee could hear that
advice as early as Friday.
‘We must not pre-empt that committee’s work.
'Of course, we fully support the right of people to express
their views through peaceful demonstration, but no city can be a
campsite.
‘We hope common sense will prevail and those camping around the
Cathedral will recognise that they are damaging the integrity of
their protest by their actions - and they decide to disperse in a
peaceful manner.
‘But if not, we are looking at making sure we have the full
range of options – including court action – ready to hand.’’
Stuart Fraser said that issues around St Paul’s were still in
flux and the proposed meeting for Friday could still be moved to
another date.
Ends