Policy GEN 2: Security at crowded places
- Development proposals for places where large numbers of people gather (for example a new retail park, sports stadium, university, or large scale regeneration of a town centre) should be designed in such a way as to:
- minimise their vulnerability to a terrorist attack as far as practicable; and
- best protect people from any impact from such an attack.
- Proposals should take into account the design principles described in 'Crowded Places: The Planning System and Counter-Terrorism' (January 2012) and 'Protecting Crowded Places: Design and Technical Issues' (April 2014) or any subsequent replacement guidance.
Supporting information
3.9 The UK faces a significant threat from international terrorism footnote 3. Experience shows that crowded places remain a target for terrorists who have demonstrated that they are likely to target places that are easily accessible, regularly available, and which offer the prospect for an impact beyond the loss of life alone. A crowded place is a location or environment to which members of the public have access that may be considered potentially liable to terrorist attack by virtue of its crowd density; this is a matter of judgment, but could include a new retail park, sports stadium, university, or large scale regeneration of a town centre.
3.10 The Cheshire Constabulary Counter Terrorism Security Advisor (CTSA) should be contacted in respect of any large scale planning applications that include places where large crowds of people can gather. The local CTSA will understand the capability of the threat and will provide relevant, appropriate, proportionate and balanced advice so that vulnerabilities are reduced and measures are incorporated as part of the development proposal. CTSAs can also provide free pre-planning and specialist security advice to applicants involved in the design and development of sites that hold toxic chemicals or other sensitive information and materials.
3.11 CTSA advice may include standards in respect of security procedures, security personnel, information security as well as effective security design measures such as hostile vehicle mitigation, blast resistance (structure and glazing), building management and the ability to adapt to the changing threat. Designers and developers may be expected to consult with a security and specialist engineer regarding the structural resilience of the building or asked to carry out a vehicle dynamics assessment.
Related documents
(Footnote 3) Section 1 of the Terrorism Act 2000 defines terrorism as: ‘The use or threat of a specified action where the use or threat is designed to influence the government or an international governmental organisation or to intimidate the public or a section of the public, and the use or threat is made for the purpose of advancing a political, religious, racial or ideological cause. The action is a specified action if it involves serious violence against a person; involves serious damage to property; endangers a person’s life, other than the person committing the action; creates a serious risk to the health and safety of the public or a section of the public; or is designed seriously to interfere with or seriously to disrupt an electronic system.'
Policy information
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