TOUTING in Brick Lane: The Texts of a petition presentation by Conservative activist Matt Smith and colleagues to Tower Hamlets 'Council' Weds 02 Feb

1250 Hrs GMT
London
Thusrday
03 February 2011

By © Muhammad Haque

TEXTS quoted below from the emailed communication sent to AADHIKARonline Media Law Unit. We are publishing the txts without editing or moderating. Responses and comments will be incorporated into further parts of these reports.


Dear Mayor and Councillors',


My name is Matthew Smith. It is my privilege to deliver this petition on behalf of residents living around Brick Lane.

My colleague Mr Philip Vracas, who is also a local resident, has received representations from local Bangladeshi restaurateurs who also support this petition.

Councillors you will have already received the text of our petition in your agendas.

There are two points that I would like to make.

1. Firstly I would say is that the petitioners who have brought this petition before Tower Hamlets Council represents a cross section of society in Spitalfields and Banglatown.

The names of petitioners from Folgate Street, Elder Street, Wilkes Street, Princelet Street, Woodseer Street and Fournier Street, show that it is a cross community petition.

They all have a stake in the enforcement of what is existing London Borough of Tower Hamlets approved policy. It’s about their quality of life.

Moreover this is not about residents versus business and tourists. You will have the opportunity to ask Mr Vracas about the representations he has received from Bangladeshi restaurateurs.

2. Secondly I would like to say that this petition is not really about the merits or demerits of touting. It is about the enforcement of existing Council policy.

In this sense it is therefore bipartisan. What residents are calling for is for Tower Hamlets Council to act against breaches of their own rules.

People who breach the London Borough of Tower Hamlets byelaw on Brick Lane could face fines of up to £500. Tower Hamlets Council adds an anti-touting condition to any restaurant that holds a license on or near Brick Lane. Breaching this condition could end in fines of up to £20,000 or six months imprisonment, or both.

Despite the Tower Hamlets Safer Together campaign launched in July 2010 local residents say aggressive and sometimes intimidating restaurant touting continues unabated.

I live beside Brick Lane and last Friday evening I was hassled eleven times between Princelet Street and Old Montague St. The touts are omnipresent and clearly completely unconcerned about this legislation.

Every time I go to Brick Lane I am approached by curry touts so the ban is definitely not working!

Many local residents would like to see high visibility enforcement of the Council’s own byelaw.

3. Thirdly enforcement matter to both local residents and businesses.
It will be evident to all here why local residents find touting obstructive and annoying.

A lady who lives on Heneage Street said to me ‘no one wants to be a spoilsport but there has to be room for everyone to go about their lives here.

Someone walking from Woodseer Street to Old Montague Street looking to buy some late night groceries could easily be hassled over and over again.

Local businessmen would say that the world famous Brick Lane is a real asset to the borough and we want to make sure that it stays that way.

With London 2012 only two years away, we want to be sure those tourists visiting the borough will not be driven away by the touts.

Warren Street at one time, thirty years ago, was very famous for Indian restaurants. Brick Lane is one of London’s most popular tourist destinations. Touts are breaking the law and they are discouraging people from coming to the area. We don’t want Brick Lane slide into decline.

It is our view that Licenses could and should be reviewed where restaurants continue to tout for custom.

During the next four minutes of questions you may wish to ask Mr Philip Vracas about the representations he has received from local Bangladeshi restaurateurs asking him to speak on their behalf.

Myself, Philip and local residents of Spitalfields and Banglatown thank you for your indulgence and look forward to reading a written response from the relevant Chief Officer of the Council.

Thank you.