28 October 2011
City of London Corporation approves court action to remove St
Paul’s campsite
Today the Planning and Transportation Committee of the City
of London Corporation voted to go ahead with court action to clear
200 plus tents from the public highways around St Paul’s.
The members of the committee, which is responsible for the
highways for the Square Mile business district around St Paul’s,
voted for the move after careful consideration and lawyers will
begin court action.
Michael Welbank, the elected Member who chaired the committee as
its Deputy Chairman, said after the meeting:
‘ Protest is an essential right in a democracy – but camping on
the highway is not and we believe we will have a strong highways
case because an encampment on a busy thoroughfare clearly impacts
the rights of others.’
Stuart Fraser, the City of London Corporation’s Chairman of
Policy and Resources, said:
‘ We have no problem with a peaceable 24-hour protest by people
without tents – provided the highway is fully usable – but
campsites and important highways don’t mix.’
The report the committee considered outlined how the Articles 10
and 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights was being used in
English law and detailed how action had been taken against campers
in Parliament Square.
The formal decision taken was as follows:
- To commence proceedings to remove the encampment on the grounds
that the encampment constitutes an unreasonable user [sic] of the
highway and/or on such grounds as may be advised.
- In the event the factual circumstances relating to the
obstruction of the highway change from those set out in the report
before proceedings are commenced, but the encampment remains, that
the Committee delegates to the Town Clerk and Chief Executive,
in consultation with the Chairman and Deputy Chairman, the decision
whether to commence proceedings.
- That a further report be submitted to the Committee on the
outcome of the legal proceedings and prior to any enforcement
action being taken. An approximate map showing the maintained
public highway around St Paul’s (attached) was cited. The hatched
area is public highway and the dark semicircle area permissive
paths.
