Strict conditions to be imposed as EDL march is set to take place in Wellington
Strict conditions are set to be imposed by police on a proposed march by the English Defence League which is to take place in Wellington Town Centre on Saturday, 13 August.
The march will take place between 1pm and 3pm and follow a police designated route from Church Street, turning right into Market Street, right into Bridge Road, right again into Queen Street and returning to Church Street.
In a move aimed at minimising the impact of the demonstration on traders and the wider community the police are using powers under the 1986 Public Order Act which will stipulate when and where EDL supporters may gather and the route their march must take.
The Ten Tree Croft car park in Queen Street and Nailors Row car park in Victoria Road will be closed from 6pm on Friday, 12 August, reopening at 8pm on Saturday, 13 Aug.
On the day of the demonstration Church Street will be closed from the junction with Vineyard Road along with Queen Street from the junction of Bridge Road and Charlton Street from the junction with Vineyard Road.
In addition Market Street and parts of Bridge Street will close during the match for around 30 minutes. A permit scheme will be in place to ensure residents affected by these road closures are still able to park.
To stop protestors entering residential areas barriers will be available at a small number of locations in the town. There will also be a traffic control on Bank Road.
The policing operation will continue into the evening for the match between Telford United and Luton Town which kicks off at 7.45pm.
Chief Inspector Keith Gee of West Mercia Police said today: "We are listening and recognise the concerns of traders and other people in the community and we understand people's frustrations. That is why we are being so prescriptive about the conditions under which this protest can go ahead.
"The EDL have a right to hold a protest but local people also have a right to go about their daily lives without being made to feel intimidated or uncomfortable. That is why we are using the powers available to us under the law to ensure that it passes off peacefully and that disruption is kept to the absolute minimum.
"We will be making it very clear what the EDL and their supporters can and cannot do on the day and their legal responsibilities. We will have a significant police presence in the town during the demonstration and we will deal firmly with anyone who causes damage, is involved in violence, promotes hatred or acts in an irresponsible way that increases fear or tension in the community.”
Telford & Wrekin Council statement on the march
Telford & Wrekin Council say they disappointed that the EDL march will be going ahead.
Cllr Shaun Davies, cabinet member for Community Cohesion, said: “The overwhelming voice from the community in Telford, and in particular in Wellington, is that people do not want this march in our town.
“The Council would not want the march to go ahead but we understand and appreciate the very difficult position that the Police are in.
“The law and free speech allows for demonstrations and only under very clear criteria can these be stopped. The police have told us that these criteria have not been met and therefore the march goes ahead.
“The Police have the experience, resources and expertise in handling such matters and we continue to work very closely with them to minimise any disruption this march may cause and most importantly protect the safety of the community.
“While Telford is united against this unwelcome march, it is very important the Council, the community and all our partners continue to get behind the police and to make sure it has as little impact as possible on people and daily life in the borough.”
Updates on the march
Further updates and information will be available before, during and after the event on the West Mercia Police website at http://www.westmercia.police.uk live updates will also be posted on Twitter using the hashtag #policetelford.
