Harlow Council Leaflet Ban Update
Some of you will be following Tony Bennett's campaign to call Harlow Council to account for their decision to ban leafletting. Talk Veritas has been down for a few days, so in the meantime I will continue the thread here. Here is some of the la-*test*-('") correspondence which Tony will not mind me posting:
Some of you will be following Tony Bennett's campaign to call Harlow Council to account for their decision to ban leafletting. Talk Veritas has been down for a few days, so in the meantime I will continue the thread here. Here is some of the la-*test*-('") correspondence which Tony will not mind me posting:
Dear Mr Bourn, -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE: FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT applies to some of these questions -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your reply was eventually received by me on Wednesday. Unfortunately it did not answer all my questions and indeed the Committee Report of 9 August that you sent me raises still more questions. My questions now centre around the criteria that will be used to determine whether a leaflet may be circulated, (b) the length of time and procedures it will take to approve any single leaflet, and (c) the penalties involved for breach of the Council's proposed order. In particular, you have not been able to say whether you would or would not approve any of the sample leaflets I raised in my letter by way of example - and I note that you told one of the local newspapers ('The Star') that you could not say in advance whether residents pro-*test*-('")ing outside the Town Hall would be allowed to circulate their leaflet. Here are my further questions. I request that this e-mail forms part of my representations to the Council and is copied to the Licensing Committee, any other Councillor who will determine whether this proposed order is made, and to the Leaders of all three political groups on the Council. Please confirm that you have done this. I am told that the Licensing Committee is meeting tomorrow night. Please ensure that a copy of all my correspondence with you is provided to them. QU. 1 What are the criteria you will use in deciding whether to permit or refuse any particular leaflet? Are they written down anywhere yet? Will they be written down? QU 2. Does a religious group, an organisation claiming to be circulating a political leaflet or a charity (you call these groups 'exempt') need to approach you first for permission? Or can they just go ahead and circulate their leaflets? For example, suppose I want to campaign against Harlow Council's recent policy of closing many children's playgrounds - clearly a 'political' issue. Will I need to apply to you for a permit? Surely you can answer that question? QU. 3 You have now told me that *four* departments will potentially be involved in checking any proposed leaflet - (a) Licensing Department (b) Cleansing Department (c) Community Safety Department (d) Town Centre Manager (Para. 14 of the Report). Please tell me the names of those officials in each of those Departments who are designated to vet leaflets - or at least provide me with their job titles. Also please tell me what the procedure will be where the relevant officer - say the Town Centre Manager - is on holiday or off sick. Will another officer be delegated to approve the leaflet? Suppose that officer is also away on holiday, off sick, or on a training course? QU. 4. It looks from the Council Officer's Report as though if 3 out of 4 officials approve a leaflet (It says, Para 15: "A licence will only be granted where all consultees agree"), the fourth officer, if s/he does not approve a leaflet, will have a veto. Is this correct, please? QU. 5. If I belong to an organisation, say 'The Campaign for More Children's Playgrounds in Harlow", and I get approval (a 'licence') for a leaflet, will that organisation then be 'licensed' to distribute any further leaflets? Or will they have to approach you for each new leaflet to be vetted? QU. 6. Will the person seeking a 'licence' need to produce four copies of a proposed leaflet? Or will the Council Officer photocopy them so that each of the four departments can comment? QU. 7 How long does the Council estimate it will take from a person presenting a leaflet for approval (say on a Friday afternoon) to getting a decision from the Council? Will the decision be in wrting or verbal? QU. 8 You did not answer my questions about the penalties for infringement. Neither dos the Council Report of 9 August give this information. Please state: (a) what the maximum penalty for infringement will be and (b) at what amount it is proposed to set a fixed penalty. Please give any other information about what the Council proposes to fix as penalties and please also refer me to the relevant legislation. QU. 9 In what newspapers did the Council advertise its proposed order (I have seen the 'Herald' advert on 12 October) and at what cost? QU. 10 Will I be allowed to address the Licensing Committee in person with my objections, if so when and for how long? On this occasion would you please be good enough to answer *all* questions in my letter, not just some of them. I await your reply. Yours sincerely Tony Bennett
Peter Bourn <peter.bourn@harlow.gov.uk> wrote: Dear Mr Bennett I will, as requested, forward a copy of the report presented to Licensing Committee on 9 August along with a copy of the minute. I think it will be better that in future I respond to your enquiries either by letter or email. Yours sincerely Peter Bourn REST SNIPPED