• WE are extremely pleased and relieved that from Wednesday October 3, new “Safe Access Zones” are in force around abortion clinics, both in Camden and across England and Wales.

For many years we, as ward councillors, have shared residents’ deep concern at the protests that take place outside the Whitfield Street MSI clinic (and British Pregnancy Advisory Service when it used to be located in Bedford Square).

We have heard stories of women and their family and friends being extremely distressed by these demonstrations.

No one should have to run a gauntlet to access health services.

In the absence of dedicated legislation, at Camden we had taken the first steps on the path to a PSPO, public space protection order, following the model used by Ealing Council and others.

However the Covid-19 pandemic interrupted this process and, in any case, a PSPO requires regular renewal and a huge amount of resource on the part of the local authority and others to secure what should be a right anyway.

Importantly MPs in the last parliament voted in favour of Safe Access Zones.

For reasons still unclear, the last government then sat on their implementation for a long time, perhaps under pressure from right-wing groups.

Thankfully the new Labour government has moved swiftly to bring in the 150-metre zones on an automatic basis.

If anyone witnesses actions that may constitute harassment or cause alarm or distress outside clinics in future, please contact the police in the first instance.

Please also let us know as councillors so we can do what we can to ensure the zone’s integrity.

CLLR SABRINA FRANCIS
CLLR ADAM HARRISON
CLLR RISHI MADLANI
Labour, Bloomsbury ward