Town council draws up anti-terror plans
Large events in Shropshire would require “physical measures” to be put in place to prevent terror attacks under proposed new laws.
Under the planned legislation known as “Martyn’s Law”, events and premises with a capacity of 800 or more will need to put detailed plans in place to prevent terrorist attacks, such as vehicles being used as weapons and “marauding attackers” in public spaces.
Now Shrewsbury’s town council is working out how to comply with proposed new legislation to protect the public against terror attacks at large events in the town, such as the Flower Show, which last year saw 5,000 visitors evacuated from the Quarry while suspicious packages were checked by armed officers.
Venues such as the Darwin shopping centre, Shrewsbury Castle, Theatre Severn amongst others would also need to draw up enhanced measures to protect the public.
The legislation would effect smaller events and premises, such as Shrewsbury’s Market Hall and even youth and community centres in the town, who would need to have detailed operational procedures in place.
The proposed new law is currently under consultation with the UK Government, and is named after Martyn Hett, one of the victims in the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing in which 22 people died.
Shrewsbury Town Clerk Helen Ball sits on a national joint working group which has been liaising with the Home Office on the legislation.
“Two weeks after that concert [in 2017] we were due to have Let’s Rock and it was the first major pop concert after that bombing – we had lots of people cancel their tickets because they didn’t feel safe and they asked ‘what are you doing to protect us?’,” she told a meeting of the town council’s parks and recreation committee last night (March 6).
“Fast forward to August 2023 when we had a bomb threat at the flower show and that wasn’t an exciting thing to be part of trying to evacuate 5,000 people. Thankfully it was a hoax but we can’t take hoaxes for granted.
“It’s about placing a duty on organisers, on land owners and building owners to protect the public against terrorism.
“It’s easy to sit here and say ‘it couldn’t happen in Shrewsbury’ but actually there’s no reason why it shouldn’t happen in Shrewsbury. The IRA have bombed Shrewsbury and we’ve had three bomb threats in the last 12 months, we have to have a constant sense of awareness.”
The Home Office published the draft bill in May 2023, with the Home Affairs Select Committee reporting its findings to the Home Office in early Autumn.
The town council will respond to the Government in support of the legislation, and will recommend a standardised approach across all its public buildings.
The consultation closes on March 18.
