Uxbridge street ministry

The Kingsborough Centre successfully opposed a PSPO that effectively criminalised its Christian outreach ministry

Case overview

• The London Borough of Hillingdon implemented a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) which effectively made it a criminal offence to preach with amplification, distribute Christian leaflets and display Bible verses on posters in Uxbridge town centre.
• When later asked about the PSPO, the council accepted that it was not intended to target the Christian activity in the town centre.
• However, police officers told Christians in the town centre that their ministry  was in breach of the PSPO.
• With the Christian Legal Centre’s backing, the church launched an application for judicial review, given that the PSPO prohibited peaceful and lawful behaviour that could not properly be characterised as anti-social.
• After the High Court gave permission for the case to proceed, the council U-turned. It clarified some of the provisions, committed to removing the prohibition on amplification and agreed to pay legal costs of around £20,000 to the church.
• The case is a new example of councils using PSPOs in a way that targets the freedom of Christians to share their faith publicly. It follows the use of PSPOs to implement censorship and no-prayer zones around abortion centres.

Media coverage

• Telegraph: Christians overturn ban on street preaching in London borough
• Standard: Christian group wins legal battle over preaching ban in west London

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The church received help from the Christian Legal Centre to take her case forwards.

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