Public spaces protest 2016
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Tell the Mayor to improve his Public London Charter – by 15 Jan

Sian Berry 2414 Views

The Mayor needs to ban intrusive facial recognition cameras run by private companies in public spaces – help me tell him why.

The freedom to sit, play, socialise and exercise free speech in public spaces is so important, but it is being eroded every day in our city.

Since 2016 I have worked with campaigners to win new policies from the Mayor to stop arbitrary rules banning activities like play, protest and simply being homeless in new public spaces.

Public squares and green spaces are increasing being run by private companies, as major new developments are built.

Before I was elected to the Assembly, I helped organise a protest with campaigners at More London – the privately owned space where City Hall itself sits. In 2017 the Assembly passed a motion I proposed for new planning policies to provide not only more freedoms in the initial management plans agreed, but an ongoing democratic process for making any changes to the rules.

We have waited more than three years for the Mayor to produce the policy he promised in response to the motion, but a draft new Public London Charter is now out for consultation.

Read my response to the Mayor’s draft Charter here

I’m pleased to see some good principles in the draft, including specific guidance not to ban activities such as children playing, young people gathering with friends, protests, busking and cycling. And there’s a strong statement against prejudiced action to push homeless people out of public spaces.

However, the Charter falls short when it comes to making any changes to rules. We know that private companies and landowners will take every chance they are given to sanitise real, untidy London life from their spaces and ban legitimate activities, and this must be fixed in the final draft.

And the Mayor is missing a huge opportunity to take a strong stance to protect Londoners’ human rights, by failing to ban facial recognition in private CCTV systems in new public spaces – something I believe he has a clear obligation to prevent with this guidance.

Your voice is needed – please join me in responding to the online consultation before the deadline of 15 January.

Consult.london.gov.uk/public-london-charter

Here are the changes I want to see:

  • The Mayor should ban the use of intrusive biometric surveillance technologies (including live facial recognition) within CCTV systems for public spaces covered by this policy.
  • The policy needs to set out a democratic process for changing any agreed rules governing new public spaces – for example by bringing changes back into council planning processes.
  • Full details of the spaces, including maps and draft management plans must be submitted for public scrutiny with planning applications, not decided later behind closed doors
  • The Mayor should put resources into supporting the Charter, and commit to publishing an easy to use search tool about new public spaces and their rules.
  • Clear and visible signage must be required on the ground about any rules and how to contact managers.
  • A maximum number of times a space can be closed for ticketed events must be agreed for each year as part of the conditions for approval.

The principles of Public Welcome and Openness are in general set out well, and here are suitable questions in the survey for you to enter these points about the other parts of the guidance:

Question 23: Are there any changes you would make to the guidance for the principle of Free of Charge?

A maximum number of times a space can be closed for ticketed events must be agreed for each year as part of the conditions for approval.

Question 26: If you think the principle of Privacy and Data in the Charter needs changing, can you tell us how and why?

The Mayor should ban the use of intrusive biometric surveillance technologies (including live facial recognition) within CCTV systems for public spaces covered by this policy.

Question 30: If you think the principle of Transparency in the Charter needs changing, can you tell us how and why?

The policy needs to set out a democratic process for changing any agreed rules governing new public spaces – for example by bringing changes back into council planning processes. ·

Question 31: Are there any changes you would make to the guidance for the principle of Transparency?

The Mayor should put resources into supporting the Charter, and commit to publishing an easy to use search tool about new public spaces and their rules.

Full details of the spaces, including maps and draft management plans must be submitted for public scrutiny with planning applications, not decided later behind closed doors.

Clear and visible signage on site about any rules and how to contact managers should be required, as well as accessible information online.

Guidance should include details of a democratic process for changing any agreed rules governing new public spaces – for example by bringing changes back into council planning processes. ·