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Rules tightened to keep smokers off pavements
Katharine Barney, Evening Standard18 Feb 2008
Smokers forced outside on to pavements by the smoking ban are being targeted in a clampdown to keep public walkways clear.
Many pubs, shops and cafés now provide seating and other facilities for smokers outside their businesses, but Barnet council claims this often forces pedestrians with pushchairs or walking aids into the road.
Council chiefs plan to introduce new licensing restrictions to prevent chairs and tables outside restaurants encroaching on pavements.
Under the guidelines, anybody who wants to use a public highway to trade will need the council's permission.
Licences will only be granted if the pavement is wide enough to allow people to move along it freely, with different requirements for busy town centres. The rule change will also curb street traders and ban A-board advertising signs outside shops and restaurants.
Brian Coleman, Barnet cabinet member for community safety and community engagement said: "Everybody - whether they are pushing a buggy, using a wheelchair or simply cannot see very well - has the right to be able to get along the pavement and the council will make sure that they are able to do so.
"It is unacceptable that children in pushchairs and people with walking frames sometimes find the pavement blocked by traders using the public highway inappropriately," he said. "Over the past year the clutter of tables and chairs, stands of produce and A-board advertisements outside shops has grown.
"These new licensing arrangements will help us manage the situation better both for pedestrians and businesses."
The Barnet scheme, which Mr Coleman said would be self-financing, is expected to come into effect in April.
Reader views (11)
How dare these pubs, shops and cafes actually cater to the needs of their customers who have been hoofed out by the carefully thought out and certified not economically damaging smoking ban.
All smokers should be kept in little airtight boxes where their stink cannot escape and anyone who dares to smoke outside of their airtight box should be fined and persued by birch-wielding harridans. The system would of course be self-funding as the fine would be sufficiently large to cover the costs (birch-wielding harridans aren't cheap you know). Putting anything out on the street, be it tables and chairs, an A-frame advert or a bag of rubbish on bin day (once in however many weeks) should require a permit that is also expensive enough to cover the costs (although these should be minimal, it's not as if councils have oversized bureaucracies to support) and anyone occupying the pavement without a permit should be prosecuted for maliciously not giving all of their money to the council. [/sarcasm]
- Rufus, Oxford,UK, 19/02/2008 12:46
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What a bitter twisted country we are becoming, I don't smoke, and I don't like ciggie smoke, but for gods sake, live and let live, I don't hear the same cry coming from these idiots about the amount of drunks rolling out of pubs at night urinating in public places and throwing up, I find that more anti-social than smoking, or is it that perhaps those here moaning are drinkers? I don't know.
- Brian, Wiltshire, 19/02/2008 12:29
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Great. If smokers were considerate I'd have more sympathy. But on the whole they are not. They think now that they have some moral right to the pavement since not being allowed to pollute indoor areas. They are dirty, a butt is litter, and they smell.
- T Samkin, London, 19/02/2008 11:54
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People claim they do not want smoke blown in their face's - well tough. These same people supported the abolishment of smoking rooms / where those whom wished to smoke could do so with out putting others at risk. The situation is now worse because non smokers are more at risk breathing in more smoke due to people standing on streets and outside buildings. I always went out of my way to keep my smoke to myself, now I couldn't give a toss what non smokers think or say.
- Paul Dyson, London, 19/02/2008 11:49
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The Barnet scheme, which Mr Coleman said would be 'SELF-FINANCING'.
I think we get the idea now.
Soon we will have parking tickets for pedestrians!
- Frank H, London, 18/02/2008 16:08
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They should ban smoking completely. I am sick of having people's fag smoke blown in my face. It is disgusting.
- Charlie, London, 18/02/2008 15:52
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In a few months when we see more and more of this sort of legislation, the same smokers who currently block entrances to shopping centres, stations, supermarkets (usually the staff!) and pubs will feel hard done to.
If they cleaned up their own act (literally in the case of ciggie butts and those ubiquitous cellophane wrappers) legislation would not be needed. They will only have themselves to blame.
- Martin Watson, Teddington, 18/02/2008 15:39
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Why doesn't the government just 'ban totally' the sale of cigarettes ?
I am a smoker - and am sick of this constant use of public money to systematically demonise our habit.
Or are the government frightened that they'd lose the financial back handers from the tobacco industry ?
Why not 'ban salt' in restaurants - the main cause of heart attacks - or ban buses in London - the main cause of serious accidents to cyclists and pedestrians ?
How ridiculous !
- Padraigh Turlough, Crystal Palace, London, 18/02/2008 15:31
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Another example of yet more petty bureaucracy and interference by local authorities. How will it be "self financing"? Money only grows on trees in the minds of government, at whatever level. It will be financed by more taxation on business which is already groaning under the weight of the aggravation from councils, the Mayor, Westminster and the European Union. Just watch as they push yet more bars and pubs and shops out of business - that's the way to do it. Already pub trade is down in England because of the smoking ban. Brian Coleman will no doubt be joining the Mayor's campaign team in a bid for ever more rules and regulations and taxes and fines...sorry, did I hear someone say that Brian is a Tory on the London Assembly. Well, yes, but there's very little difference between Tory and Labour policy at City Hall so he'd feel quite at home with the Mayor on 8 out of 10 issues...as a lifelong non-smoker I feel that this is also an attack on the liberties of people who smoke and is a serious step too far. What about people coming out of churches cluttering up the pavement? Or when your Mayoral candidate has a press scrum at a public meeting? Should that be licensed and banned?
- Damian Hockney Am, Mayoral candidate for One London Party, London Assembly, 18/02/2008 14:56
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Good.
- Andy, London, UK, 18/02/2008 14:54
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It is time now for by-laws to be brought into effect that will stop smokers gathering outside buildings for smoke breaks. For one thing it is ugly, seeing a gaggle of people hanging around the pavement sucking on cigarettes. This is especially the case for companies who have regular visitors. Outside of pubs on a cold evening it is quite simply silly.
Much more importantly, however, smokers leave their stink and their filth behind them. Try walking past a spot where they regularly gather, and the smell of stale smoke hits you. Those who think they can get away with dropping their cigarette ends on the ground, do so. They have no self control and no manners, so it's time to impose some upon them.
- Ken, Bexleyheath, UK, 18/02/2008 14:47
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